


Seeing You for the First Time

by Lady_Lightning



Series: Fear Can't Stop My Love For You [8]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Green Lantern - All Media Types, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2019-10-14 03:58:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 28,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17501117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Lightning/pseuds/Lady_Lightning
Summary: Hal and Barry meet at Central City University and hit it off. Unfortunately, life takes unexpected turns for them and all their friends.Years in the future, will they all meet again?





	1. Meeting You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ceeloilights](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceeloilights/gifts).



> This is a story that I came up with when I remembered that in one of my other fics I mentioned they met in college. Well, I guess I'm writing a story that backs it up.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal gets to college and is excited to meet his roommate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess this is going to be more than a one-shot. I started to write this and then it just kept expanding in my head.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Hal walked onto his new campus in Central City. He was more than excited to start class and learn about planes. He wanted to fly like his dad had before his ill-fated test in 1993, but first, he needed to know everything he could about planes. After all, flying was dangerous especially if you didn’t know anything about the thing you were flying.

Class wouldn’t start until next week but every student that would be dorming had to show up today and move all their stuff in and get settled. Hal had actually managed to be early for once and had unpacked all of his things, though admittedly there wasn’t much to unpack. He grabbed his dad’s bomber jacket and left his dorm for a walk. 

His roommate hadn’t shown up yet and there wasn’t much to do but explore the campus. He looked at all the new students tugging around their things and looking for their rooms. One boy particularly caught his eye.

A kid with short, light brown hair and hazel eyes stood by the campus gates, eyes wide with amazement. However, the first step the kid took knocked his things over and a box of miscellaneous things spilled out from it.

Hal rushed over to help, crouching to grab a few notebooks and hand them to him. “Careful,” Hal said as he handed the books to the boy with a smile. “Where are you headed?”

“Oh, thanks. Uh, dorm building two.” Barry said as he finished gathering the objects that came out of his box.

“I just came from that building. Let me show you the way.” Hal politely said as he helped the kid to his feet. “This way…” he pointed as Barry rushed to grab everything. Hal took a few boxes from the boy and before he could resist, he started walking, the boy rushing to catch up with him.

“Uh, thanks.” The boy said with his head ducked. 

“No problem. The dorm is right over there, do you know what floor?”

“Third,” Barry said quietly.

“Huh, okay,” Hal said, noting that Barry was on his floor. His year was going to be very interesting with this boy around, he knew that for certain. They walked into the building and Hal pressed the button to the elevator. Once the doors opened, they stepped into the cab and Hal hit the button for floor three.

Barry pulled his room key out when the elevator doors opened to their floor. As they walked down the hall looking for his room, Hal’s smirk started to get bigger. They were getting closer to Hal’s room and his suspicions were growing. He knew his roommate’s name but that was it. He was getting more and more excited to meet his roommate as they slowed down in front of his room.

His grin grew bigger. This was his roommate, Barry Allen.

“Well, Barry,” Hal started as Barry opened the door and walked in, “Looks like we’re roomies. I’m Hal. Hal Jordan.” he gave Barry a wickedly handsome grin, eyes shining suggestively.

Barry looked at him with wide eyes and a slight blush coming to his cheeks. “Uh, Barry Allen.” He held his hand our for Hal to shake.

“Let’s get your things sorted and then maybe we can get some dinner,” Hal said. “We should probably get to know each other.”

Barr nodded and started sorting through his stuff. Hal was more helpful than Barry would have thought. He looked at Hal through the corner of his eye, letting his gaze linger. Short caramel brown hair, brown eyes, a great build… his cheeks turned pink as he looked back to his things.

“Hey, Barry? How about some dinner? I’m getting hungry.”

“Sure, where do you want to go?”

“Big Belly Burger sound okay? There’s one a few blocks from campus.” Hal told him.

“Sure.” Barry grabbed his jacket, and Hal tugged his father’s onto his shoulders and they left their dorm. As they were walking down the street, Barry started a conversation. “What are you going to CCU for?”

“The Air Force put me in a program here to learn about engineering planes and eventually I’ll move on to a flight class,” Hal told him. “I’m a test pilot of sorts. I’ve been through a lot of simulations with the Air Force to make sure that I’d make a good pilot, and now that the dry runs are over, they sent me here for the next steps.”

“That’s so cool!” Barry said, grabbing Hal’s arm and shaking it excitedly.

Hal laughed a bit, “Yeah, I guess it is.” He snorted, “What are you attending for?”

“I’m in the honors program for a major in Forensic Science and a minor in biology,” Barry told him.

“Honors?” Hal asked, intrigued.

“I graduated high school early with over a 4.0 GPA and came here with high honors and a full scholarship,” Barry said with a small smile. He was still proud of himself to be able to say that. He’d worked hard after all.

“Geez, someone’s a smarty pants.” Hal teased. Barry blushed in response, “That’s really cool though, Barry.” Hal though for a second, “Hang on if you graduated early, how old are you?”

“I’m 18 now but when I graduated I was 16. I waited a few semesters before starting here. I wanted to have a small break from school and work for a bit. I don’t know, just relax before really getting into college and my future.” Barry turned to Hal, curious as to why he asked. “Why? How old are you?”

“I’m twenty,” Hal replied. “I went straight to the Air Force and they finally approved me and sent me here,” Hal told him. “I guess I’m starting college a little late.” He laughed. “Though honestly, I don’t need these professors to tell me things I already know. I’m just here to get the official degree or whatever. It’s a requirement or something.”

Hal set a steady pace for their conversation. After a few blocks, he’d learned that Barry was really a true nerd. The comic books, believing in the impossible everything about the boy made Hal really curious. He was more than interested in Barry and was determined to see where he could get with the boy.

Barry had learned that Hal was more of a tough guy. He wasn’t really into sports but loved planes had gotten into some fights in high school and even outside of it, he’d been in the military since he graduated and wasn’t really in contact with his family. He’d had a fallnig out with a childhood friend named Carol Ferris and was single since then. He was really interested in Hal. He was irresponsible and rash yet funny and cool and charming and so much more.

Their time in college was about to get really interesting…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	2. Getting Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Hal have gotten closer over their semester at CCU. Not that Barry has really seemed to notice...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Atomic and ceeloilights because they asked for it and I wanna update for the people! 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Hal was sending Barry a few glances here and there as he sat on his bed. Barry was at his desk studying for a final of his and Hal was watching a movie on his computer. Sure he should be studying he supposed… but it was stuff he already knew. His father had taught him a lot before his death and Hal went on to study on his own afterward. He wanted to make his father proud after all.

Barry was chewing on the eraser of his pencil and occasionally taking notes as his eyes scanned the textbooks. He started to make flash cards and by the time Hal glanced at him again the desk was covered in a whirlwind of papers and index cards.

Hal put his laptop aside and crept up behind Barry quietly. Hal had a devilish smirk as he blew on the back of Barry’s neck. Barry jumped, a hand flying to the spot Hal had blown on as he spun around with wide eyes.

Hal laughed as Barry complained. “Hal! What the hell?!?” he asked urgently.

“Relax Barry.” he chuckled again. “You’re desk looks like a tornado hit it. How about a break?” Hal asked as he held his hand out for Barry to take. Hal and Barry had gotten very close over their first semester and had a habit of doing almost everything together. Hal noticed that they even held hands like a couple would, not that Barry seemed to notice or mind. Hal wanted to make his move, he just wasn’t exactly sure how. 

Another thing Hal noticed is that he was the only thing they seemed to keep Barry running. The kid got so into his studies that he skipped meals and barely slept. Hal was the one to make sure snacks and meals found their way onto Barry’s desk as the kid studied. Without noticing Barry would start to munch on whatever appeared. When Barry passed out at his desk it was Hal that moved the boy to his bed and made sure he slept long enough before letting him back at his studies.

One time Barry had passed out in the library and Hal had gotten a call from their friend Bruce about it. They had to hull an unconscious Barry Allen all the way across campus back to the dorms. Neither were willing to risk waking the boy because if he did wake, he’d go straight back to studying, sleep be damned.

Barry took Hal’s hand with a nod and let the older man lead him from the room. “Maybe we can get Bruce to join?” Barry asked.

“We can definitely check,” Hal confirmed with a nod.

Bruce was 20 as well and another student at CCU. He was from Gotham and was studying literally everything at school. Majoring in biology with more than three minors at the moment. The man was a supergenius who had graduated even earlier than Barry did and already had masters in tech and engineering. Barry and Hal knew that he was Gotham’s famous Bruce Wayne, son of the late Thomas and Martha Wayne, and he was going to take over Wayne industries when he turned 21. He had already gained access to the trusts his family had left him and was using some of the money to go to multiple colleges and travel until it came time to inherit the company.

They met Bruce separately but they all came to hang out together often. He was particularly close to Barry but not so much interested in Hal. Bruce was a genius with the looks of a football player. He was skilled in martial arts, they had found out when Barry and Hal happened across him going into a dojo in the city one day. 

He was a toned out dude, and well rounded in the aspects of his personality, the only thing Hal saw that made him curious was that he was kind of cold, not really wanting to get attached to anyone. Barry had wormed his way in, but Hal was still a little lost on the dude. 

Barry buzzed with excited energy as Hal led them down the hall to Bruce’s dorm. They knocked and after a minute, Bruce opened the door. “Hey.” He said quietly. 

“Barry and I are headed to Big Belly Burger for some food if you wanted to join,” Hal said with a smile. Bruce looked to Barry who gave him a pleading look with a big smile. Bruce noticed their linked hands and made a note to talk to Hal privately as soon as he got the chance. 

“Sure,” he replied, grabbing a coat from the rack and his keys for his room. He locked the doors and turned back to them. “Lead the way,” Bruce said calmly. Along the way, they all chatted pleasantly. Bruce was analyzing his surroundings and his friends. Barry was the youngest of the three but he was close to both of them, or he thought so anyway.

He remembered Barry telling him of his interest in Hal. The way the boy pined after him and Hal never seemed to see it. But they were always walking like this, hands held or tucked closely against one another. Barry wanted more than Hal was giving him, that much Bruce could see.

He glanced over towards Hal. The man was smiling a mile wide at Barry. He could see it in Hal’s eyes. He wanted Barry just as much as Barry wanted him. Hal had told him that he liked how passionate Barry was, his innocence and puppy eyes, Hal loved a lot about Barry. He just wasn’t making a move and it was making Bruce curious.

They shouldn’t have made Bruce curious because now he was going to get involved. Eventually, they’d learn that it wasn’t always a good thing to make him curious. He’d investigate some more, make sure his suspicions were right, then take action.

They walked into Big Belly Burger about a twenty minutes later more than ready for a bite to eat. Each ordered a burger and fries but as the dinner went on, Barry ordered more and more food. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until they had gotten their first burgers placed in front of them.

“Jeez Barry,” Hal commented. “Someone’s hungry.” Barry just shrugged, enjoying his milkshake and fries too much to care about Hal’s teasing. “What did you eat today?” Hal asked curiously.

“Uh, I don’t think I actually ate today…” Barry replied, swallowing his bite of fries.

“Barry!” Hal whined. Barry just swallowed another bite of his fries guiltily. 

“Sorry, I guess I was just focused…” Barry told Hal.

“It’s fine to be focused on your studies, Barry. You just need to remember to take a break and take care of yourself.” Bruce said calmly, tone soft. Bruce went back to his own fries after he put in his two cents, content to just sit with his friends.

“Just be more careful,” Hal told him, nudging Barry’s arm and sending him a worried smile. Barry nodded and turned his head away to hide his blush. Hal’s smile faded when Barry turned away from him. Had he gone too far?

An hour and a half of relaxing, eating and talking with each other and they were ready to leave. They settled the check and grabbed their coats, leaving happily. 

After tonight, Bruce was certain that they were pining for each other, neither sure of how to make the move. He knew Barry was probably a little too shy to actually take that step, which was fine, but that meant he needed to convince Hal to take the steps necessary so they both could be happy. They were so close, they just needed a little push, one that Bruce was more than happy to provide.

Once they neared the dorms, Bruce started to slow down a bit. “I need to meet up with Clark and Diana. We have a study group soon.”

“You mean a tutoring session,” Barry said. Bruce rolled his eyes. Sure his sessions with Clark and Diana were mainly him helping them out, but he actually learned quite a bit from studying with them.

“If you want to put it that way,” Bruce said quietly. “I’ll catch you guys later.”

“Bye,” Hal said with a wave as Bruce continued on the path to the library. Hal turned to the dorms, Barry’s hand in his. “How about a movie when we get back to the dorm? You’ve gotten a lot done today, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Sure,” Barry said with a calm smile. They happily settled onto Hal’s bed to watch a movie on his laptop together. Though, Hal being flush against Barry as they watched the movie made it truly hard to focus...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	3. Clark and Diana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn what Bruce knows about Diana and Clark and go into how he feels about his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really just a chapter on Bruce and his knowledge about his friends. 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Here’s the thing with Clark and Diana. Bruce has known them for a while. He knew a lot about them, basically did background checks on them. He was friends with them though kept them at an arm's length just like everyone else(except Barry). 

Clark was cool, Bruce guessed. Though he knew that the Clark he was hanging around with and studying with was really just a mask. He knew about Clark’s powers, and where he came from. It wasn’t hard to find out, not with his intelligence. 

Clark was from a dead planet called Krypton. Because of earth’s yellow sun, the young man had extreme powers. Bruce hasn’t seen anything like it before. He was looking into weaknesses but so far had nothing notable. 

He was really only friends with Clark to make sure he stayed in line, that he’d always walk the right path. A man with his power was dangerous no matter his intentions after all. 

Clark didn’t seem to notice that Bruce knew his secret. Bruce hid it all too well. Bruce couldn’t really stand the way Clark acted, though. He was a little too cheery, nerdy or making himself look too vulnerable. 

Diana, though, she exudes confidence. She knew who she was, and made sure that everyone was treated equally and that there was always harmony between who she hung out with. 

Bruce also knew where she had come from. She was the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta. She came from Themyscira, an island of warrior women.

She’s been trained from a young age and then left home, never allowed to return. At 19 she entered college and was finding her way. She still trained daily, and Bruce has spent a great deal of time watching her. 

He had trained in martial arts himself, and while he knew he could beat even her skill set, her powers as a demigoddess were something he’d have to work around. She never used her powers during training, but she’d save a number of people since coming to CCU and he’d been there to observe. 

She was friendly enough but just like Clark, he was there to make sure they stayed on the right side. He had a feeling whatever they did in the future would affect each other. 

Bruce looked up from his books briefly, glimpsing at both as they studied across from him. He cracked a slight smirk, then returned to his books. 

Studying for him was futile, though. His photographic memory made it so he could barely glance at the page and have everything on it memorized. 

That’s probably the biggest reason he had already graduated with a couple masters and was still working in college at a young age. 

“Hey Bruce, can you explain this to me?” Clark asked, looking up from his book about journalism. 

“Sure,” Bruce got up and walked to stand behind Clark. He leaned over and glanced at what Clark was reading.

One glance and he could explain the text in many different ways to help him understand. Studying was pointless, he let out a huff before he started explaining. 

After he left their study session, he headed to Jitters to get some coffee. He had a long night ahead of him. 

HOURS LATER

Bruce powered his torch down and lifted his mask with a sigh. He’d been working on his utility belt structure, weapons, and transportation ways for months. He needed to finish a suit but he was mostly ready.

After he graduated he’d be returning to Gotham, ready to avenge his city. 

He picked up a Batarang, looking at it intently. Batman was going to bring the criminals of his city to justice. He would instill fear into them through his tactics and costume, but he’d go by a code, unlike the criminal elite. 

After putting everything away, he moved back to his computer. He had a system to work on. Batwave wasn’t going to create itself and he needed a private system for wherever his base of operations would be. 

Bruce’s thoughts wandered back to bats and he gave a shiver. Even now, those creatures still scared him. Truthfully, with everything he’d gone through in his life, bats were the only thing he could bring himself to fear. 

He and fear were well acquainted, but he never let it overrun him. He’d use his fear and anger to help Gotham in a way nobody else could. 

Bruce Wayne was Gotham’s White Knight, but they were about to get a new savior. Batman, the Dark Knight. He’d swiftly carry out justice, protect his city, make sure things like what happened to him wouldn’t happen to anyone else. 

Another sigh, this would take a while to complete. Even now the programming was a mere 15% complete and he’d been working on it for two months. He needed to be thorough though. He wasn’t taking any chances of someone who shouldn’t know about Batwave finding out about it. 

THE NEXT MORNING

Bruce let out a yawn and got up. He had a class with Clark and Diana in an hour. He headed to the shower and then got dressed. As he grabbed his book bag he heard a knock on his door. 

When he opened it, Clark and Diana were standing there smiling. Once again they decided to walk with Bruce to class. He didn’t mind but he mostly stayed silent as they chatted away. 

When they stepped into the classroom, Bruce sat in the back of the room at a desk by himself. As Clark and Diana took seats in the middle of the room and sharing a table. 

The bell rang and class began. Bruce wasn’t excited for this class. It’s nothing he didn’t already know. Moreover, his teacher made more mistakes than he did. He was a month ahead of everyone in this class as far as the work went, so he just continued working. 

He handed in all the work for the class in, plus the homework due next class and decided to get even further ahead. 

His teacher gave him a dirty look as he moved to his desk again, pleased with his ability to stay ahead. 

Clark and Diana glanced at him and smiled. Their friend was interesting, they’d give him that. Good thing they were learning to investigate, because Bruce was really catching their eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	4. Together?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Hal meet Clark and Diana and Bruce sets his plan into action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, enjoy! :)

Hal was conflicted. He wanted to take Barry on a date but he wasn’t sure the boy was interested in him that way. He looked over to Barry who was studying with Bruce. When Bruce’s attention flickered to him, he instantly turned his eyes back to his movie and popcorn.

Bruce’s lips turned up into a small smirk when he noticed Hal’s gaze on Barry. He noticed that the man couldn’t seem to keep his eyes of the kid. His suspicions confirmed, he put the next part of his plan into action.

THE NEXT DAY

Barry and Hal were walking through the quad when they happened along Bruce, Clark, and Diana studying in the grass. “Hey,” Barry greeted, smiling when they all turned their heads to look at their greeter.

“Hey, Barry,” Bruce responded happily, getting up and hugging his friend. He saw Hal’s face sour for a minute until he released Barry from his grasp. “Oh, this is Clark and Diana,” Bruce told them. “Diana, Clark, this is Barry Allen and Hal Jordan.” Bruce introduced.

“Nice to meet you,” she said politely.

“Hello,” Clark greeted with a wave. Hal gave them both a smile and a nod as Barry and he sat down in the grass next to Bruce, hands still firmly linked. Diana and Clark noticed right away, and her curiosity got the better of her, “How long have you two been together?”

When Hal and Barry paused with wide eyes, Bruce smirked. His plan was working. Placing his study group in the quad where Barry and Hal hung out regularly was the perfect idea to finally get them to meet. Clark and Diana were sure to get those two to realize how they acted, and help them get things moving. Naturally, he was right.

“We… we aren’t together,” Barry responded, pulling his hand away from Hal’s and wrapping his arms around himself securely. He looked as if he was trying to make himself invisible, shrinking away like that.

Interesting… Bruce was going to have to look into that, maybe ask him about it directly. He took note and changed the subject quickly, both Hal and Barry looking grateful for his intervention. “Would you guy’s like to join us for dinner later? We were going to head over to Big Belly Burger once we were finished here. I know it’s one of your favorites.”

“I’m in,” Hal responded with a smirk, “How ‘bout you Barry?”

“Sure,” he responded quietly, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

BIG BELLY BURGER

Barry was currently curled into his normal spot, Hal’s side as everyone ordered and talked away. He was more than comfortable but still trying to get used to the new faces in the group. He wasn’t really sure how he felt about Clark and Diana quite yet. 

They looked trustworthy enough and very kind, from the looks in their eyes. He supposed they couldn’t be that bad if Bruce liked them. Even Hal liked them! It was settled! Clark and Diana were his new friends. He’s always liked people, and they always told him that he trusted way to easily but he couldn't help it! There were very few people who proved themselves to be truly unkind and untrustworthy in his book. Like Tony Woodward. Man, was he glad to be rid of him…

Barry relaxed, settled into his new group, he was ready to trust and believe in these people. 

They ate and talked for a while, Barry just enjoying everyone’s company. He was really interested in his third burger, and Clark seemed to be interested in how much he could eat.

“How much do you normally eat, Barry?” He asked with a chuckle. 

“I’m hungry,” Barry said with a shrug.

“He tends to forget meals while studying,” Hal told them, Bruce continuing his sentence for him, “Hal slips food onto his desk to make sure he eats but more often than not he eats a lot late at night when we go out to make up for lost meals. He doesn’t seem to understand the point of a good diet.” Bruce joked.

Barry blushed and looked down to his lap. Hal slid his hand into Barry’s giving it a small squeeze and a smile when the boy looked to him. “He’s a little forgetful but that’s what he has us for,” Hal said happily.

Clark and Diana looked to each other and then back to Hal and Barry. There was definitely something going on there…

After dinner was over, Bruce walked with Clark and Diana to the dorms while Barry and Hal went straight to their dorms. “What’s going on with Hal and Barry?” Clark finally asked.

“I was wondering the same thing,”

“For people in investigative journalism, you guy’s can’t seem to see the simplest things,” Bruce said with an eye roll. Diana and Clark both noted his attitude when talking about Hal and Barry, then pressed him to continue.

“You guys really didn’t see the way they were looking at each other?” Bruce asked, gaining a look of confusion from Clark and a knowing look from Diana.

“Hal looked like he was going to eat Barry up,” Diana said, “He obviously wants to be with him.”

“Barry has told me how much he is interested in Hal,” Bruce told her in response. “Barry is just a little too shy to make a move and Hal is pining over him in the same way. I suspect that Hal just doesn’t know how to make his move,”

“What are you saying?” Clark asked, wanting Bruce to get to the point.

“Help me get my friends together,” Clark and Diana looked at each other, this was something that they’d never expect from Bruce. It wasn’t something that his personality told them that he’d ever get involved with. Just when they thought they were close to figuring out who he was, he throws them a curve and surprised them. Well, now he was even more intriguing.

“What do you need us to do?” Diana asked, more than ready to help. Clark thought for a moment, then looked to him and nodded his consent. This was going to get him one step closer to figuring out who Bruce Wayne really was.

It was only a bonus that they’d get two people who really seemed to want to be together into the relationship that both were hoping for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	5. Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce, Clark, and Diana are finally able to convince Hal to make his move on Barry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, I really love this. 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

No matter what Bruce, Clark, and Diana did, Hal and Barry didn’t seem to get the hint they were so obviously giving. They tried setting them up on a date, then setting Barry and Hal up on dates with other people to get the other jealous, none of it seemed to work. Diana even flirted with both of them in an attempt to get the other riled up.

These two were impossibly dense. Bruce, Diana, and Clark were in Bruce’s dorm when Clark made a suggestion. “Why don’t we just talk to Hal?” He asked.

“I would if I thought it would actually do something. Hal is too stubborn to take our advice and ask Barry out anyway.” Bruce replied.

“Right about now it’s the only thing we have left to try. None of us have any more ideas.” Diana added.

“Good luck separating those two long enough to talk with Hal about it privately,” Bruce told them, turning back to his books. He invited them over to study, after all, what kind of student would he be if they didn’t focus at least a little bit?

They all turned back to their books for a while before Bruce let out a huff. “Fuck it,” he said with a sigh. “Let’s see what Hal is up to,” he grabbed his phone and dialed Hal’s number. It rang a few times before Hal picked up the line.

“Hello?” He heard Hal whisper.

“Hal, why are you whispering?” Bruce asked as he put Hal on speaker so that Clark and Diana could hear him.

“I just got Barry asleep,” Hal spoke softly. “He had a panic attack and has been sick since this morning.”

“Geez, is he okay?”

“He’ll be fine, he just needs a lot of sleep. I need to go to the store and get some things for him, though.”

“How about we walk with you to the store?” Bruce asked.

“We?”

“Clark and Diana are here too,”

“Hey, Hal,” Diana greeted happily.

“Hey!” Clark announced his presence cheerfully.

“Oh, um, I don’t see why not,” Hal said. Bruce heard shuffling on Hal’s end of the line. “I don’t really want to leave him alone for long, but I’ll be right over and we can head to the store.”

“Alright, see you,” Bruce said in a short goodbye before he hung up. He couldn’t focus until Hal and Barry figured out what they were. It was like an itch in his brain that he couldn’t scratch and it was getting more and more irritating. Ignoring it was no longer an option.

They packed up their books and were putting their coats on when Hal knocked on the door. Bruce opened it and greeted his friend, then they all left for the store. “So how’s Barry?” Diana asked.

“His fever is peaking, and he’s barely asleep right now. He kicked the blankets off, then woke up shivering two minutes later.” Hal said with a sigh. This boy was unbelievable. They all seemed to be exasperated but Clark and Diana learned just as quickly as Bruce and Hal had that the boy really sucked at taking care of himself. 

He was forgetful of the important things like his health and he strived to make everyone happy before himself. The boy was absolutely lovable in every way possible that it was almost frustrating. 

Once they got to the store, Hal picked up a basket and wandered through the aisles looking at different things. After a few minutes, Bruce broke the silence and spoke up with his frustrations. “What the hell are you doing with Barry?” He asked firmly.

“What do you mean?” Hal asked with a confused tone.

“What. Are. You. Doing. With. Barry?” Bruce punctuated each word fiercely. Diana jumped in, grabbing Bruce by the shoulder to pull him behind her.

“I think he wants to know what you’re doing relationship-wise. Why haven’t you asked him out yet?” Diana kindly interrupted.

“Oh, um, well, I don’t know. I-I guess I just haven’t figured out how to ask, or when. I haven’t found the right time to, I guess.” Hal said, not jostled by the questions at all as he walked down the aisle to find some soups. 

Bruce was a little surprised to see how Hal was handling their ‘interrogation’ of sorts. Clark remained largely quiet but Bruce had some stuff to iron out with him. “You need to make a move,” Bruce expressed.

“What?” Hal turned to look at him inquisitively.

“Make. A. Move.”

“Why are you asking about this?” Hal asked. “Why does this matter to you?”

“Trust me. Just ask him out.” Bruce told him instantly. “You need to ask him out.”

Hal just looked at Bruce for a moment, waiting for him to continue. When Bruce didn’t, Hal crossed his arms, look even more stern. Diana and Clark just stood there watching them stare at one another.

“He’s into you, you big dumbass! Anyone can see it! The way you two act is exactly how a couple does and it’s nauseating how oblivious you two seem to be about it!” Bruce was really aggravated with Hal’s obliviousness, just like he was with Barry’s. 

They seriously needed to get some eyes or some common sense. Bruce was so over their ‘waiting for the right moment’ thing that they both seemed to be doing. “Trust me when I tell you that Barry would rather have you ask sooner than plan something out or wait for the right moment,” Bruce told him, now side by side with Hal as they walked down the snack aisle.

Clark and Diana had disappeared into some other aisles a few minutes ago, no doubt looking for their own snacks to buy. “I don’t know,” Hal told him reluctantly. “How do you even know if he’s interested in me?” Hal asked as he picked up a box of crackers.

When Hal turned back to Bruce, Bruce had a look like ‘isn’t it obvious?’ on his face. 

“Alright I get it,” Hal conceded. “I’ll think about it.” Bruce sighed. Hal was dense, way more dense than he expected.

“No more thinking, that’s exactly why you haven’t done it!” Bruce pointed out. “You just need to go for it,”

“It’s going to at least wait until he isn’t sick anymore,” Hal told him firmly. No way he was asking Barry out while the kid was so out of it. Bruce gave him a nod of approval and they continued down the aisle, meeting up with Clark and Diana so they could proceed to the checkout.

Bruce supposed that Hal’s reasoning this time was fair, after all, he was sure Barry would love to have a memory like this that isn’t clouded with the feelings of him being sick. He happily walked by his friend’s side, excited that Barry would finally get what he wanted.

BARRY’S DORM

Barry rolled onto his back, kicking at the blankets so they’d fall off him. He was sweating through his clothes and the room was so hot! He groaned when he tried to find a comfortable position.

When he couldn’t get comfortable he let out a frustrated whine and moved to get up. He was dizzy at first but moved to his desk and opened his binder. If he couldn’t get comfortable enough to sleep he was going to study.

Hal walked into the dorm and quietly shut the door. When he turned around, he saw Barry at his desk, obviously out of it. With a sigh, he put his bags down on his desk and snuck up behind the boy. “Now I know for a fact that you were asleep in that bed when I left. Who said it was a good time to study?” Hal asked, making the boy jump.

“Barry if you don’t feel good, you should be sleeping.” When Barry shrugged and turned back to his books, Hal let out another aggravated huff. He took Barry gently by the elbow and led him back to his bed. “Sleep.” He said simply, crossing his arms.

Barry looked frustrated with everything, tears in his eyes. Hal could only guess that they were because of how bad he was feeling. With another shrug, Barry flopped over onto his bed and let out a long yawn. Hal moved to cover him up and turn out the lights. 

He settled on his bed with a movie, ready to relax. After a while, he saw how much Barry was fidgeting. He’d kick the blanket off and then pull it up back over him when he got cold. He rolled over constantly, seemingly unable to get comfortable.

Hal got up and turned his fan to face Barry and put it on full blast. He grabbed a washcloth from the bathroom and wet it with cool water and walked back over to Barry who was sprawled on his back. His breathing was labored, Hal noticed as he placed the cool cloth on Barry’s burning forehead.

Barry seemed to relax a little but was unable to find a position to get comfortable in. Hal climbed over to the inside of Barry’s bed and got under the covers. He settled only the sheet on top of them as he didn’t want Barry to overheat. He pulled Barry to him, the boy’s head settling on his chest. Wide tired eyes looked up at him in confusion and Hal just gave him a smile. “Sleep, Barry.” He whispered as his eyes slowly drooped shut. The kid was out in seconds and Hal was left to smile.

He felt it as Barry’s body settled into sleep, loosening up slowly. He closed his eyes and focused on Barry’s breathing. He followed the boy into sleep, heart full knowing the boy was secure in his arms. When Barry was better, he’d ask him out, and he looked to that time with excitement and anticipation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	6. Sick Days and Good Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry finally resurfaces after his illness and Hal has some things to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For ceeliolights because they were really excited about the next chapter.
> 
> I wrote this up just for you.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Hal woke up before Barry the next morning. He was glad he didn’t have class today if he was being honest. He wouldn’t want to leave Barry alone when he was sick anyway. Hal got up and stretched, his joints popping.

He took the cloth on Barry’s forehead and rewetted it and wiped the boy’s face gently before replacing it on his forehead. After he made sure Barry was alright, he hopped into a quick shower.

He settled into a chair as he ate his cereal, waiting for Barry to wake up. The morning was uneventful, Hal just watching TV the entire time. When Barry started to rouse, Hal was at his side. Barry’s stomach rumbled as soon as the boy managed to open his eyes.

By the time Hal managed to heat the soup up Barry had passed out again. This time, he’d have to wake the boy up. He needed to eat. He settled Barry in his lap, his back against his chest. He held the bowl of soup and made sure the boy ate plenty before allowing him to finally go back to sleep.

Though, Hal didn’t expect Barry to pull him back into the bed and curl into his side. Though he couldn’t really protest, his heart swelling with affection. Barry was absolutely adorable, all snuggled into his side. He might have been sick and passed out but Barry always had the same adorable face when he was sleeping.

He just let Barry have his way, knowing that the boy probably wouldn’t sleep without him there anyway. Hal was deep in thought as he looked to Barry. He’d spent months with his college roommate and he’d gotten to know him very well in those months.

Barry was everything Hal was looking for and more. He had some anxiety problems and depression because of what happened to his mother and father when he was younger. he ‘d had many panic attacks while at school and Hal had always made sure to help him through them. 

He was determined to help Barry through anything, even if it was as simple as a cold.  
LATER THAT DAY

It turns out that it wasn’t really a simple cold. Barry’s condition had worsened and Hal ended up calling Bruce to help him get Barry to the doctor. Bruce had offered to drive them there in his car and then waited for them to finish. 

Hal had walked out with Barry still asleep in his arms and a prescription of antibiotics for the kid. Bruce helped Hal settle the boy back into bed when they got to the dorms then wished him luck and headed back to his room. 

Bruce sent a crap ton of drinks and snacks to make sure they were both taken care of. Hal made sure Barry took his antibiotics twice a day and kept him well fed and hydrated. The boy really didn’t do anything but sleep other than that. 

It was a struggle to get him into the shower and fresh clothes, he’d sweat through multiple pairs because of how high his fever had gotten. Hla had Barry eating crackers and soup, and drinking ginger ale and green tea with ginseng and honey.

It was only after three days with heavy medication that Barry started to come back up to the land of the living. “Hal?” Barry groaned as he woke up from his nap. It was almost three in the afternoon when Barry finally woke up.

Barry’s mind was pretty foggy when he woke up, and he couldn’t really focus on the hazy memories from the past few days. He wasn’t really worried about it at the moment. He was more worried about where Hal had gone off to.

Hal almost never left him in the dorms alone, Barry recalled as he moved to sit up. Only then did he realize there were arms around his waist securing him to the form lying beneath him. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Hal sound asleep.

Yeah… he definitely missed a lot while he was sick.

Barry looked closer at Hal’s face, noticing the small details of his face. Hal had really long eyelashes for example. He’d never noticed before, not having the opportunity before this to really get a good look at him.

He also noticed that Hal looked completely exhausted. Barry was curious as to how Hal could’ve gotten so tired so quickly but then his mind started filtering in the memories of the past few days.

His cheeks heated up, turning bright red as he scrambled off Hal’s bed and out of the older man’s arms. Hal startled awake when Barry hit the floor. “Barry?” Hal asked as he pulled him back onto the bed.

Barry wasn’t resistant but was startled by the fact that Hal didn’t hesitate to pull him close. He wasn’t going to complain though, Hal was really warm and comforting.

Hal noticed that when he pulled Barry to him, the boy relaxed substantially. He also was quick to notice that Barry’s fever and symptoms were gone. The antibiotics had done their work efficiently. Barry’s face was buried in his chest when he started to feel it grow warm.

Hall pulled Barry back a little to look at him, his face was flushed red and his eyes were focused on the bed they sat on rather than looking at Hal.

“Why’d you do this?” Barry asked him quietly after taking a moment to collect himself. Hal grabbed Barry’s chin to lift it up so they could make eye contact. When their eyes met, Hal leaned in for a heated kiss. 

Barry responded eagerly, but Hal cut their kiss short so he could answer in words, “Because I care about you. You’re worth the world and the stars. Each and every universe in our entire galaxy isn’t nearly as precious as you are to me,” Hal told him quietly.

Barry just looked at him in awe, then his surprised expression turned to a blissful smile. Oh, yeah. Barry could handle this. And he’d do so happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	7. Bliss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Hal bask in the bliss of whatever is going on between them and all Barry’s friends are more than a little curious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For ceeliolights!
> 
> Seems like I’m always writing things just for you!
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Barry woke up late that night. Hal was sleeping beside him, snoring slightly. He smiled and ran his fingers through Hal’s hair, feeling it slip through his fingers. He couldn’t remember being this at peace before. 

Hal’s breathing hitched a bit and he pulled Barry closer by his waist. His face pressed against the top of Barry’s head and he let out a sigh as he fell into a deeper sleep. 

Barry let out a giggle and got comfortable. He was tired and it seemed to him that Hal wasn’t ping to let him up anytime soon. 

THE NEXT MORNING

Barry woke up to his alarm going off. Hal was still dead asleep and Barry let out a snort. Of course Hal would be able to sleep through the alarm. 

Hal had class on Monday mornings so Barry grabbed his shoulder and shook him gently. “Hal, you have to get up. You have class today!” 

His eyes opened blearily before he pulled Barry closer. “Five more minutes.”

Barry looked to the clock. It’s not like he set the clock to go off early. He knew how Hal could get and honestly he didn’t want to move either. “Fine. But only five minutes,” Barry told him. 

Hal was difficult to get out of bed though. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen Hal like this, refusing to get out of bed. He had an inkling on why, though. 

Barry forced himself out of Hal’s arms and off the bed. Hal let out a groan in protest but finally got up very reluctantly. 

Getting ready for class was a fast act and then they were out the door headed for the campus coffee shop. Barry and Hal went there every morning that they had class. They’d stop for a cup of coffee then head to their classes. 

Cups of hot coffee in their hands, they made their way to Barry’s class. They had classes in other buildings but Barry’s was on the way so Hal always walked him to class. 

When they were outside, Barry had said his normal goodbye and turned to enter his classroom. Hal caught him by the wrist before he could actually leave, and pulled him into a brief kiss. 

Barry smiles at him when he broke the kiss, then looked back to the classroom. His friend Arthur and John were both looking at him with devilish smiles. 

When he turned back to Hal, his face was bright red. Hal looked to the boys in the classroom curiously. “Who are they?”

“That’s Arthur Curry and John Jones. Some friends,” Barry replied as he fanned his face. “I’ll see you for lunch.” 

Hal said a quick goodbye and left for his class. When Barry sat down at his desk, Arthur was all up on his case. 

“Barry what was that?!” He asked in a teasing tone. John was more of the quiet type but Barry could see the curiosity lighting his eyes. 

“To be honest I’m not even sure.” Barry replied. “Hal said he had feelings for me last night and we’ve been like that ever since.”

“So he’s your boyfriend,” John said simply. 

“Well, no. I mean we haven’t made it official if I’m recalling correctly…” 

“You guys have been a couple since you started dorming in the same room.” Arthur told him firmly. “You acted that way, anyway. Everyone thinks you’re together.” 

“But as far as I know, technically we’re not.” Barry pointed out. The bell rang and their class started, conversation forgotten. 

HAL’S CLASS

Carol walked up to where Hal was sitting, greeting him happily. Hal wasn’t really sure how he felt about Carol if he was honest. Things between them hadn’t worked out and she stuck around just like she had always said but things with Barry were more complicated than ever. 

Hal’s attention snapped back to her when she started snapping in his face. She apparently had noticed he was zoned out. “What’s going on with you?” She asked. 

Hal had told her about his interest in Barry and she had always encouraged him to go for it. She was supportive of Hal, and Hal trusted her. He let her in on the secret. “I told Barry how I felt last night,” he sighed happily. “I also kissed him in front of his friends John and Arthur this morning.”

She squealed in delight, hugging Hal tightly. “I’m so happy for you Hal!” She releases him to look in his eyes. “You deserve to be happy. Barry is perfect for you,”

Truthfully, she had never met Barry but from what Hal had told her the boy was an amazing person and seemed to be more than a little physically attractive for Hal. 

She’d seen the background of Hal’s phone, which was a picture of the both of them goofing around. She had to admit that he was more than a little attractive in her books too. 

She sat down next to him when the bell rang, both focused on class. Though that doesn’t mean Hal didn’t check his phone or the clock every five minutes to see if class was almost over. 

She giggled, completely entertained by Hal’s restlessness. 

LUNCHTIME

Hal walked into the cafeteria in the main building and looked around for Barry. He saw Barry with Arthur and John at a table in the back of the room and made his way over. Bruce, Diana and Clark joined him with their lunches on his way over. 

“Who are they?” Clark asked curiously. 

“Barry’s friends. Arthur Curry and John Jones. They have some classes together,” Hal told them as they approached the table. “Hey Barr’ let's get lunch before the lines are crazy long.”

Barry looked up and nodded. He finished his conversation up and they were off to the lunch lines. 

“Hi, I’m Diana, this is Clark, and that’s Bruce.” 

“Arthur,” the blonde boy said with a nod. 

“John.” He said politely, sending them a smile. 

“So, you guys have class with Barry?” Brice said as they settled down at the tables. 

“Yeah,” Arthur responded. “He’s very helpful in class.”

“He helps us study when we need it. He’s been asking us to join him and his friends for lunch for a while and we finally got tired of saying no.” John laughed. “Finally found a day where we were actually available.”

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Clark said as he grabbed his drink and brought it to his lips. 

The all glanced to Barry and Hal standing in line, both smiling widely. Bruce squinted as he looked close for details. “Interesting,” he whispered. The group quietly ate lunch until Barry and Hal came back to the table. 

“John, Arthur this is Hal,” Barry introduced him as they sat down.

“Are you two together yet?” Bruce asked, causing everyone to stare it him for his bluntness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	8. Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of time jumping to get the story up to speed, and the events that would lead up to their futures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just because you are a frequent reader and commenter, I have gifted this work to you, ceeloilights.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

“Are you two together yet?” Bruce asked, causing everyone to stare at him for his bluntness. “What?” He asked. 

Hal and Barry looked to each other intently. Everyone watched, waiting for them to figure it out. “Yes,” Hal said with a devilish smile. “We are.” Barry cracked a huge smile. 

“Finally!” Bruce exclaimed. “Now I don’t have to watch you two pining for each other every time we’re together!”

Everyone laughed, happy that their friends finally started to get a clue. 

GRADUATION

It had been a long road since the group of seven met and became friends. Bruce has graduated multiple times before all his friends did, yet he still walked the stage for other majors the same year as all his friends. 

Barry had a job lined up at CCPD thanks to Joe helping him get an interview. Singh was an intimidating man but Barry knew that his expertise would be needed there. 

Hal was planning to go into training in Coastal City and finally become a test pilot. Clark was going to be a reporter at the Daily Planet, Diana a diplomat, John a detective, and Bruce had his company back in Gotham to run now. Arthur wasn’t sure exactly what he was going to do but to hell if that was going to stop him from having fun. 

Barry told them that they’d have to have a get together at least once a year after they graduated and things changed. 

After graduation, they all headed to Big Belly Burger, a place they had frequently gone to during their time at CCU. After their dinner, Hal had told everyone he had an announcement to make and had proposed to Barry. 

Barry had eagerly said yes as everyone watched in amazement. Hal handy told anyone that he planned to propose, but from the look on Bruce’s face, told everyone that he had known. 

Two days and everyone started to leave Central. Each goodbye led to Barry bursting into tears and clinging to his friends. In the end, they were all happy and kept in touch. 

ONE YEAR LATER

Barry had been with the CCPD for a year now and Hal came home constantly for visits. He was a test pilot and the best that Ferris Air had. 

Barry’s phone rang, Carol’s picture coming up. He answered and put it up to his ear, “Hey Carol, what's up?”

“Barry,” a pause, “Hal’s gone missing.” 

As soon as that sentence came out, Barry dropped his phone. Joe walked into the lab just as the phone hit the floor. He looked to Barry with a face of confusion, but upon seeing the face Barry was making he rushed over and wrapped his arms around him. 

Phone forgotten, Barry cried and cried into Joe’s shoulder. Joe answered his phone as soon as it rang, “Hello?” He listened with sorrow as Carol explained what had happened. 

Barry locked himself in his apartment and hadn’t talked with anyone in days. Singh has given him some time off so he could digest the news he’d received. 

Joe had called Bruce, Clark, Diana, Arthur, and John to tell them of the news. They had all seen it on TV, and Bruce had told him that he was heading to Central City right away. 

Unfortunately, Barry refused to see even Bruce. They each had tried and failed to convince the young man to open his door and let them in. 

Unable to stay, they all headed back to their cities, not before telling Barry to call if he needed them. 

Barry never did call. 

6 MONTHS LATER

Harrison Wells was about to launch his particle accelerator and Barry had asked to attend with Iris. She had canceled a date to go with him, knowing that Barry didn’t ever ask for much, or that he spoke much anymore. 

Unless it was work or science related, he didn’t really speak or do anything fun. She was relieved to see that he wanted to go out. 

Unfortunately, someone snagged her bag that held her laptop and Barry had run after him. The mugger was caught by a new man at the precinct named Eddie. Iris talked with Barry about it as he held an ice pack to his nose.

He went up to his lab afterward and turned on his computer to pull up the footage of the news. Linda Park was reporting about the storm affecting the particle accelerator. Started to pull the chains the the sky roof when he heard a loud clap of thunder.

He looked around his lab as the chemicals started to float in the air. Just like that night… a flashback of the night his mom died flashed into his mind. Another loud crack of thunder pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up.

Lightning crashed through the ceiling, his skin lighting up a bit as it made contact with him. He shot backward, falling into the case of chemicals and knocking the shelf over. He laid atop of it, completely unconscious.

\---

Medical staff wheeled Barry into the ER, each communicating what needed to be done to save his life. “Barry!” Iris yelled, tears falling down her face as she tried to enter the room.

“You can’t be in here,” A nurse told her, pushing her from the room.

“I’m family!” She cried, “Barry!”

When he was stabilized, they moved him into a regular room. They approached Joe and Iris, explaining that he fell into a coma and to recommend treatment options. The news covered Barry’s story for the first few weeks, and in the beginning, Joe had gotten calls from Bruce and all of Barry’s college friends. They might not have talked since Barry shut them out after Hal’s disappearance but they loved him all the same.

They came to visit every once in a while, but after a few months, the visits became less frequent. Not long into Barry’s coma, Harrison Wells approached Joe about bringing him to S.T.A.R. Labs. Joe was desperate to see his son okay again and took Wells up on the offer.

Like Harrison had said, any doctors they brought in wouldn’t be able to help Barry. The doctors that were working to keep him from coding, watched him have a seizure with no heartbeat. They were baffled. Whatever was going on inside Barry’s body was a mystery and these doctors didn’t have the tools to figure it out.

Joe had missed shifts to stay in the hospital with Barry so he never had to be alone. He had told Iris once that he’d go home when Barry did. Once he was moved to S.T.A.R. his condition started to improve.

Iris had felt a jolt of energy after grabbing his hand once. At the time she thought nothing of it, continuing to talk with him like she always had. Things were difficult right now and she really just wanted her brother back. 

She wanted the Barry Allen that she had known when he was in love and happy. That Barry had eroded away after Hal’s disappearance. It had been six months but losing the love of your life wasn’t something someone could get over so easily. 

She looked to the ring he wore on his finger. He had never taken the engagement ring off, even after Hal went missing. They had declared him as dead when the investigation went cold. Nobody had ever heard a word afterward so the police had no choice but to label the case as cold.

Barry was never the same. He never gave up hoping, Iris had caught him looking out his window at nighttime, a picture of him and Hal in front of him as he looked out at the stars. He could see how he longed to have his heart and soul back.

She hated to see him like this, and there was nothing she could do. But now it was worse, and she had to watch her brother wither away in a coma, one that they had no clue how long would last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	9. Seeing the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry wakes up and we see where the leaguers are and what they are up to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s taken so long for this chapter to come out, I had a bit on an emergency that I’ve been dealing with this last week and a half so writing hasn’t really been an option. 
> 
> I’m back now! XD
> 
> Enjoy! :)

9 MONTHS AFTER LIGHTNING STRIKES

Cisco was playing Lady Gaga’s Poker Face in the cortex as he was eating a twizzler. Cait was doing a regular checkup over Barry and all his body systems as well as talking with Cisco(mainly about his music choice).

“He likes this song,” was Cisco’s reply. As soon as he had turned away, Caitlin following him, Barry rocketed up in bed, taking in a huge breath of air. 

“OH MY GOD,” Cisco said as he turned around, his arms up in surrender. 

“He’s awake,” Cait said as she headed back over to her patient. Cisco called for Dr. Wells over the PA system and ran over to help Cait. 

Together they were able to calm him and drag him slowly out of his confusion. Barry immediately noticed the changes in his body but once Cisco sat him down and told him that he’d been in a coma he wasn’t sure what to say. 

“For how long?” Is all he could manage to get out. 

“Nine months,” Wells said as he rolled his electric wheelchair into the cortex. “Welcome back Mr. Allen.” His face was in a deep smirk as he spoke. “We have a lot to discuss.”

Barry put on a STAR Labs sweatshirt and some sweatpants and walked around the building as Wells explained the whole night to him. In the end, Barry ran out needing to see Iris but not before running back into the cortex to ask if he could keep the sweater. 

Barry changed into his clothes then immediately went to CC Jitters where Iris worked. When he walked in, Iris was filling a woman’s cup. When she looked up, he smiled and she placed the coffee pot on the table to run to him. 

She hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go. “You’re awake! Why didn’t STAR Labs call us?”

“I just woke up,” he said with a smile, voice breaking. 

“Should you even be on your feet?!?” She asked, grabbing his hand. Hal’s ring was still there, over a year later. 

“Iris,” he said slowly. “I’m okay.” 

“I watched you die, Barry. You kept dying, your heart kept stopping.” She told him sadly. 

He took her hand and placed it against his chest, “It’s still beating,” he laughed a little. 

“It feels really fast,” she told him. Suddenly Tracey dropped a tray of glass, causing a loud crashing sound. When Barry watched, it was like time slowed. He saw how the tray was tipping and how people looked like they weren’t moving, then time snapped back into place. 

“You okay Tracey?”

“Yeah, I got it.” She nodded as she cleaned up the mess. 

“My dad’s going to be so happy to see you! Let me get my stuff, okay? Be right back.” He nodded as she rushed off, a face of worry about what he just experienced. 

CCPD

Joe pulled Barry into a tight hug, “Oh you scared the hell out of us, kid.” He told Barry. 

“Yup. That was quite the nap you took there, baby face. And you still look twelve.” Officer Vukovich joked, Barry let out a scoff and a smile. 

“You look okay, are you really?” Joe asked worriedly. 

“Yeah,” Barry assured. A woman approached and told Joe about a robbery in progress on the west side of town and to grab his rain gear. Joe called for his partner, Eddie and they left. 

Barry took note of how Eddie and Iris interacted and then turned his attention to a glass case with a photo of detective Chyre. Barry had offered his help, only for Joe to tell him there would be plenty of time for that once he settled in. 

Things certainly had changed in nine months…

The Mardon brothers who had killed Chyre had died in a plane crash the same night. So much death over one accelerator explosion, Barry thought to himself as he played with the ring firmly on his finger. 

He let out a sigh when Iris was called by Officer Vukovich for a quick talk. He looked up when another officer greeted him and noticed they were bringing someone in. When the officer bent down to sign a paper, that man moved for the gun at his hip. 

Barry does forward and made sure the police had in under control then flashed back into the spot he had originally been in. 

When Iris came back he told her that he’d call her later and rushed out the back door of the station. When he got into the alley he looked to his hand as it vibrated on and off. “What’s happening to me?”

He flashed forward, almost hitting the wall of the building, then back into a police cruiser, smashing the rear windshield. 

Once he was a little more gathered, he rushed down the alley and flew into the back of a laundry van full of bags of clothes. 

“Cool,” He said breathlessly.

BRUCE WAYNE- BATMAN

Bruce was settled on a tall building, his cowl firmly in place. He was on a stakeout for a current case. When the men he was waiting for showed up, he dropped down, his cape spread out like the wings of a bat.

He handled the men easily enough, though one managed to get away, not before dropping something. Bruce approached with caution and grabbed the evidence. There was an address on the papers upon inspection.

Central City. 

Bruce sighed. Central meant he would have to stop in and see Barry while he was there. The boy had been in a coma for nine months and Bruce stopped in when he was in town, which wasn’t as often as he liked.

He slipped the paper into his utility belt and left the scene, sirens following in the distance.

CLARK KENT- SUPERMAN

Clark was walking around the city, sun shining high in the sky. A car whooshed by, police cruisers following behind with sirens and light flaring. His eyes narrowed and he walked into a nearby alley.

Making sure nobody was around, he took off, his bright uniform and cape standing out in the sky as he chased after the car swiftly.

DIANA PRINCE- WONDER WOMAN

Diana walked down the street, exhausted from her day at work and excited to see Steve when she got home. He’d texted her about how he’d made her a special dinner that night and she was more than happy to have a relaxing night at home.

Unfortunately, when she stepped up to the curb, intent on calling out to a cab, a loud bell rang at the bank down the street. With a sigh, she headed into a near alley and shucked the clothes covering her uniform.

She ran to the bank, a determined look on her face.

ARTHUR CURRY- AQUAMAN

Arthur saw at the beach hoping to relax. He’d had a very hard couple of weeks after being approached by a man named Vulko. He was now in training to help hone his abilities and learn to fight.

Vulko was impressed with how fast he managed to learn and had given him his mother’s trident to fight with. Now he had the task of mastering the skill of fighting with the trident, a weapon that royalty had chosen to fight with for centuries.

He loved the water, he always had. Now it had a deeper meaning. He was the heir to the Throne of Atlantis and he was constantly being told that he could be the bridge to unite the surface and the seas.

He wanted to be that bridge, he just had no clue where to start. He trusted Vulko and would follow his lead. Someone so close to his mother could hardly be wrong on what was the right path.

JOHN JONES(J’ONN J’ONZZ)- MARTIAN MANHUNTER

The detective sat quietly at his desk as he sifted through some paperwork. He was contemplating all the evidence and looking for the suspect but got distracted by a strange green glow in the sky.

With a wary glance around the office, he used his density shifting and ghosted through the wall. His detective side was pushing for him to investigate the weird green glow. 

He shapeshifted into his Manhunter uniform and took off for the green glow in the distance. 

HAL JORDAN- GREEN LANTERN

Hal flew towards earth happily, excited to finally see his home after so long. His thoughts drifted to Barry and he instantly felt heartbroken. Tears stung his eyes when he thought about how their reunion might go. 

“I’m on my way, Barry.” He whispered as we wiped tears from his face. 

BARRY ALLEN- THE FLASH

Barry was at Ferris airfield with the STAR Labs crew as they tested his speed for the first time. He zipped around happily, feeling wind and power rush by his face. 

His thoughts drifted to his mother’s murder and he crashed into barrels of water. He let out a scream as he held his wrist. Something had definitely broken. 

Over the next few days the STAR crew had given him a suit to keep up with his high velocity speeds and they were working on catching other metas in the city if they were considered dangerous. 

Barry was running through the city and his mind buzzed with joy of his new powers. He hadn’t felt this happy since… Hal. 

His eyes stung with tears as memories forced their way into the front of his mind. When they first met, their late nights in the dorms watching movies, when Hal had confirmed when they got together. His proposal flew through Barry’s mind and he tripped, crashing to the ground hard in the middle of the park. 

He pushed himself up to sit on his feet with a sniffle. Tears were rushing down his face as he heard Cait and Cisco through his earpiece. 

He switched it off and his emotions took control. He wobbled his way to a park bench and sat down, pulling his knees to his chest tightly. He shoved off the glove of his left hand and stared at the ring on his finger. It soothed him and made his heart hurt more every time he looked at it. 

Bruce was on high alert when he saw a streak of yellow-orange lightning fly by him. Curious, he started to follow, using his grapple guns and swinging from building to building. 

He saw the blur stumble and crash, then saw the form of a man in red leather laying on the ground. He squinted, trying to get a better look as the form sat there shaking for a minute before wobbling to a close park bench and sitting. 

His eyes lit up red as the tech in his cowl came to life. He zoomed in on the figure and watched as the boy pulled off his glove and stared at a ring on his finger. 

He looked to the kid’s face, “computer, scan and identify,” he grumbled. He took a quick picture of the boy’s masked face and looked at it closely as the computer tried to identify him. 

With knit brows he watched as the boy fell apart on the park bench. He could just barely hear the sniffles and sobs that shook the boy to his core. 

He moved closer, as if something was pulling him into doing so. Lean form, runners physique, ring, crying… this person reminded him of his best friend. Barry, he still had to visit at STAR. 

Once he was closer, he could hear better. The kid’s sobs sounded strangled, like he was trying to keep them from coming out, like he was sure that crying would hurt him worse than keeping all his pain inside. 

Bruce knew who it was. There was only one person that he knew that cried like that. 

Barry Allen. 

He’d woken up from his coma, but he also gained some powers it seemed. Bruce didn’t have think to act rationally, he just dropped down from where he was hidden and approached him. 

He sat on the bench next to him, the boy seemingly unaware of his presence. He pulled him into a firm hug, “It’s okay Barry, everything will be alright.” He whispered. 

Barry shoved his face in Bruce’s neck, grasping the fabric of his cape tightly in his hands. “B-Bruce?” Barry whispered, struggling to breathe. 

He sighed, “I’m here,” he grasped Barry a little tighter, “I’m here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	10. Help Arrived

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and the gang are back in Central to help Barry and bring the boy back to himself. A coffee talk with Iris helps them all to know the full extent of his trauma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, well this chapter made me really sad. it wasn't hard to write when it came to the ideas but the emotions swirling through me as I wrote made me teary eyed a couple times...
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Bruce sat there with Barry on the park bench as long as the young man needed. That turned into the boy crying himself to sleep, though. 

Bruce hit the button on the center of his belt and it lit up with the symbol of a bat. Seconds later a car came racing into the park, placing itself right in front of them. 

He loaded Barry’s sleeping form into the car, which was more difficult than it should have been because Barry refused to let go if his cape. With a sigh, Bruce hopped into the driver's seat, maneuvering around Barry’s tightly clasped hands. 

The roof shifted and closed as Bruce took off onto the streets of Central City. He drove quickly as he avoided traffic. Not long after, he turned into an empty alley and powered the car down. 

BRUCE’S HOTEL ROOM

Bruce hobbled into the room with Barry still asleep against his shoulder. He’d been able to get him out of his costume which was safely tucked away. It was harder to get him into different clothes for the walk up to the hotel room but he’d managed somehow. 

Once Barry was laid on the bed, Bruce went digging for his phone. He needed to call a couple people, after all, with Barry on his hands, he’d need some help. 

He glanced at Barry from the corner of his eye as the line connected. “Hey, it’s me. I need your help,” he said grimly. 

THE NEXT MORNING

Barry let out a groan as his eyes fluttered open. They felt heavy and stung worse than they ever had before. He looked around blearily, his vision focusing slowly on Bruce sitting across from the bed he was sprawled out on. 

Another glance had Arthur, Clark, Diana, and John all in the room. Diana leaned against the wall, Arthur and Clark were sitting on chairs and John was sitting on the extra bed that Bruce was sitting on as well. 

He couldn’t tell if he wanted to cry from happiness at seeing all his friends again or if he wanted to bawl his eyes out because there was one person missing from the picture. 

He slowly sat up, avoiding eye contact with each of them as he tried to piece together how he’d gotten here. 

He remembered going on patrol, then memory flashes of Hal caused him to crash and Bruce approached him. One thing about his memory stuck out, though. 

Not only had Bruce known the man behind the mask was him, but he was wearing a mask of his own. A cowl with a black cape attached and a bat logo spread wide across his chest. 

He remembered not letting go of the cape even when Bruce tried to tug him away, shoving his face firmly in the comfort of Bruce’s neck. 

A sob broke out as he finally looked up at his friends. He shouldn’t have shut them out all that time ago, man did he miss them. 

Bruce was by his side in an instant. He didn’t complain or turn him away when Barry once again put his face in the nape of his neck. 

Bruce let out a sigh as he hugged Barry to his chest. After all this time he was still utterly broken. Barry’s hands firmly grabbed at Bruce’s blazer, his ring showing to each of his friends. 

Bruce looked to them as he comforted Barry. When Arthur silently pointed out the ring on his finger, Bruce fixed a look at him that seemed to explain everything. 

They weren’t surprised to see the ring still on his finger but at the same time, they had expected, especially with the way the boy dealt with Hal’s death, that he wouldn’t want a constant reminder of someone who brought so much pain with just a thought. 

Then again, maybe there was another reason the boy still had the ring Hal had given him over a year ago. They just wished the boy would open up and tell them everything so they could help.

Barry cried for a while but eventually, his heartbroken sobs went down so sleepy sniffles. He lulled between asleep and awake for a while before Bruce pulled him away to look at him. “Barry?” he heard Bruce ask. He didn’t have the energy to answer but let out a slight grunt to let them know he heard them.

Bruce seemed to get what he was trying to say and they left him be. The boy was out again within minutes. Everyone let out a collective sigh, some paired with a sad look and some more concerned.

Bruce was the last out of the room, making sure the door latched firmly. CC Jitters was across the street, Bruce thought, “Why don’t we grab some coffee and talk?” He asked, leading everyone from his hotel room.

CC JITTERS

Bruce knew Barry would be out for a while if any indication the bags under the kid’s eyes gave him so he led everyone to a booth in the far corner after their coffee orders were taken. With everyone settled, the air grew slightly tense.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen him since before the disappearance and he was crying the entire time he was conscious,” Arthur said sadly, rubbing a hand over his face gently. The air took a saddened tone.

Bruce let out a small sigh and a nod. “He’s broken,” Bruce whispered. “He’s lost and he needs help finding his way home.”

“Each and every one of us would do anything to help but he keeps refusing no matter how we try,” John said grimly as he brought his cup to his lips.

“We need to show him, now more than ever, that no matter what, he can’t push us away,” Diana said resolutely.

“Agreed,” Clark confirmed.

“Hey, guys!” Iris greeted as she approached.

“Hey, Iris,” Bruce said with a small smile and nod.

“You guys check on Barry? He’s awake now, you know.” her eyes were gleaming as she told them the great news.

“As it so happens, I ran into him last night. He ended up spending the night in my hotel room,” Bruce confirmed. “I called everyone else here when I learned he was awake. They all came running.”

“He still seems so broken,” Diana told Iris. “Has he been like this since Hal’s death?”

“He barely does anything anymore,” She whispered brokenly. “Him losing Hal,” she paused, voice seemingly lost. “It shattered him completely. He goes to work, then goes home, he barely ever said anything. We had to coax him into eating for so long. Then came the explosion that almost killed him.” 

Iris sat down when John motioned for her to join them. Each of them were entranced with Barry’s story as Iris told it. “I was so certain that he’d give up, that he wouldn’t ever come back… it was bad enough that the fates stole his soul from him but then they had to go and almost kill him with lightning.” Iris sighed, tears swimming in her eyes. “He woke up not long ago and while he came straight to see me and Dad, he dropped off the radar soon after. He’s gone right back into his old habits.”

“Well, hopefully, we can help break those habits and help him heal and get back to normal,” Arthur said. “We won’t let him push us away so easily this time,” he assured. 

“Where is he?” An angry voice rang through the room. Stunned eyes turned to the new man in the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	11. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal wanders Central City deep in thought. He runs into old friends and then goes in search of his lover. When his costumed counterpart runs into a hero clad in leather, how will they act upon meeting each other?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I feel evil for writing this chapter...
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Hal slowly walked through the streets of Central City, both hands in the pockets of his bomber jacket. He’d caught up on everything that had happened while he was gone over the few days he had in Coast City. 

The ring aided in his catching up on the news and he’d learned what happened in Central and more specifically to Barry. As soon as he’d caught up and got Carol on the case to get his death in absentia dismissed, he headed for Central. 

He had to be back in Coast for the court date but that was almost two weeks away so he had more than enough time to spend looking for Barry and catching up with old friends. He’d heard that Barry had woken up from a nine-month coma a few days prior to his landing on earth and was grateful that he’d be able to see his lover awake and alright for the first time in over a year. 

From what he distinctly remembered, Barry loved going to Jitters for coffee, worked at the CCPD and he loved reading about the particle accelerator that Harrison Wells was building(before it blew up and put him into the coma).

He felt anger towards someone Barry idolized because the man had hurt Barry(maybe not on purpose but it was still unforgivable in his book). Hal was unsure on how to approach Barry when he finally did find him. He didn’t know what type of reaction to expect from the boy. Anger? Adoration? Frustration or confusion? He certainly hoped for the best…

He looked up, seeing the sign for CC Jitters. A coffee shop, the one Barry frequented. Good, he needed some caffeine anyway. He stepped inside and joined the short line and looked to the big overhead menu, debating on what he wanted. 

Once he ordered, he moved to the pickup counter to wait. He looked around a bit, the place had changed a little while he was gone. He saw a booth of six people in the far corner. He could see a woman with black hair, a man with black hair, a dark toned man, a blonde who looked very much like Arthur, and a dark toned woman who looked like Iris. On closer inspection, the sixth man was no doubt, Bruce Wayne.

The group had to be his college friends! Each one at the table matched the description of at least one of his friends. He grabbed his drink when his order was called and moved closer to the group. 

As he approached he saw the somber looks on their faces and heard the dark, saddened tones of their voices. Then he focused on the words they were saying. Iris was going on about how Barry was and Hal wasn’t liking what he was hearing.

Had his disappearance done that much damage? Barry had locked himself away and shut everyone out? He heard them talk about how he was a shell of who he’d used to be. His anger flared. Barry was so much stronger than what they seemed to believe. Why were they talking like this?

“Where is he?” he yelled as he ran over, dropping his coffee along the way. He had to see Barry himself. There was no way that his strong-willed lover would let something like this drag him so far under, that he’d drown in his sorrow. Barry had a heart of gold and never pushed people away, no way Hal’s disappearance would change that!

Everyone’s heads swung towards him, looks of shock and one of anger bored into him fiercely. 

“Hal?” Iris asked in disbelief. Iris wasn’t his concern right now. 

“Where. Is. He?” Hal asked, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Bruce got up slowly and approached with caution. They stood face to face for a minute, everyone watching their silent battle with confusion and awe. 

“Where is my fiancé?” Hal asked Bruce directly. Cisco and Cait slowly approached the group in Jitters when they saw Bruce and Iris. they saw how Bruce got up and approached a man with brown hair, then stood face to face with that man, a stern look on his face.

“Bruce, Iris? What’s going on?” Cait asked defensively, trying to diffuse the obvious tension in the group. The brunette turned to face them when he heard her voice. Cisco’s eyes went wide in seconds.

“No way. Hal... you’re supposed to be dead!” Cisco yelped in surprise.

“Do I know you?” He asked hoarsely.

“No,” Cait said simply. “We took care of Barry while he was in a coma at STAR Labs. Iris put a photo of you both beside his bed and we recognized you.” Hal just stared at them unhappily. He just wanted to see Barry and everyone seemed to have something against him trying.

“Why don’t we get you to S.T.A.R. and run some DNA to see if you are who you say you are?” John provided calmly. 

“Fine,” Hal bit out through clenched teeth. “Lead the way.”

Everyone left for S.T.A.R. Labs, the walk to the building tensely quiet.

S.T.A.R. LABS

“DNA’s a match,” Cait said as she walked back into the med room where everyone sat silently. “The only question is, where have you been?” she asked solemnly. Everyone looked to him, expecting an answer. He looked away solemnly. 

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he whispered so nobody could hear. He got up and shrugged his jacket back on. “Are you going to tell me where he is or not?” Hal asked. When everyone just looked at him, he sighed. “I guess I’ll find him on my own,” he looked to Bruce before he turned and left.

When Hal turned to look at him, Bruce could see the pain and worry swimming in Hal’s eyes. He let out a soft sigh. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea for Hal to just pop back into Barry’s life, especially the way Barry was spiraling.

But if Hal meant as much to Barry as he thought, maybe hiding Barry from him wasn’t the best idea. If Hal was even slightly as determined as he was back in college, he’d find Barry very soon and everyone seemed to acknowledge this.

Bruce went to follow Hal into the parking lot to talk but found it was empty. His eyes became wary, and he was more than curious to know how Hal had disappeared so quickly.

\---

“Ring, find him,” Hal commanded as he flew high up in the sky. 

“Scanning…” it replied in a monotone.

Now all he had to do was wait for his ring to find where Barry was hiding. 

He looked around Central City as he waited. The city was just as beautiful as he remembered. A red streak raced down the streets freely and caught his attention. He started to follow, not knowing what it could be. It changed course and headed for a nearby fire on 5th and Collins.

He grew wary and suspicious as he watched the streak move. “Ring? Identify,” he told it. It took a minute for the ring to get a lock on the blur and then the results came back.

“Unable to identify.” he sighed and flew closer. The blur would disappear into the building and come back out with people who were trapped. Once everyone was evacuated the streak raced away and Hal followed.

Barry noticed a shadow following him as he ran. It seemed the person was high in the sky and he skidded to a stop. He whipped around to look at the person following him. The man had a green aura around him as he lowered himself closer to the ground.

Barry took the man in, his costume intriguing him. He wore a skin-tight suit out of unidentified material. His torso was green, which ended at his shoulders where black then took over down his arms, barely past his elbows. White gloves covered his hands and up his forearms and he wore a green ring on the middle finger of his right hand.

He wore tight black pants with the outfit and green boots that went about halfway up his calves. A white circle with what Barry thought could be a green lantern in the center was centered on the man’s chest. A green mask covered his eyes and cheekbones but the rest of his face and his hair were left uncovered. Chestnut brown wind-whipped hair stood out the most. 

Barry’s eyes got watery almost instantly. The color and cut of the man’s hair was exactly like Hal’s. His facial structure was very similar as well. He grew sadder but then got a little agitated by the man’s presence.

Hal looked at the boy clad in what looked like red leather. He wore a full red suit with yellow highlights all throughout the outfit. There was a lightning bolt in the middle of a red chest piece with a gold circle surrounding it and matching symbols in the kid’s cowl near where Hal figured was the kid’s ears. 

The cowl covered everything but his eyes and his mouth and some of his jaw. The suit was tight and aerodynamic, and from what Hal could guess was designed to help the kid run faster. Interesting Hal thought. Very interesting.

Barry cleared his throat before he spoke. Because of his nerves, or maybe his unease, his voice came out distorted. This was so cool he thought, now if he ran into someone and needed to talk, he wouldn’t risk them knowing his identity because of his voice! “Why are you following me?” he asked.

Hal was a little more than amused by the kid’s ability to disguise his voice. It sounded weird and no tech that Hal knew of could make his voice sound like it did. It was as if there was an unnatural frequency disrupting the kid’s vocal cords to make the voice come out naturally distorted.

Two could play at that game. Hal smirked and his ring lit up a bit. He spoke, his voice deeper than normal with the aid of his ring. “Curious about a little red streak running around at about two hundred miles an hour. Not something a normal human would be able to do.” Hal said, slightly bemused as his feet touched the ground about three yards away. 

Barry grew wary even as butterflies went off in his stomach. The butterflies that flew around in his stomach and into his heart made him feel guilty, his thoughts wandering to Hal once again. Teary-eyed, he turned back to the mystery man in front of him and glared. “Who are you to ask?” he challenged.

Hal’s eyes squinted warily. He’s dodging. His body language told Hal that he was upset and on edge. The ring had told him that the man could be considered dangerous just from the display of his abilities.

He took a defensive stance, ready to take action if need be.

Barry was getting more upset by the minute. This man was certainly something, coming into his city and demanding information about him. He certainly was not having it. When the brunette got into a defensive stance Barry paused. 

He wasn’t planning to fight this man but the other guy seemed to have the wrong idea. He turned to run but was blocked by a green transparent brick wall. He turned with a glare, “You don’t wanna do that,” He told him as he turned his whole body around.

“I’m not letting you leave,” Hal told him fiercely. “You’re going to answer my questions.”

“Like hell,” Barry yelled as he zoomed forward. Hal’s defensive stance became offensive as he got ready to strike. The blur came forward and he threw a punch. Barry avoided the attack easily, ramming his arm into the man’s back, causing him to fly forward.

The man caught himself easily enough as Barry skidded to a stop on the street. 

“You won’t win this fight,” Hal said, his tone aggravated. 

“I wouldn’t  _ run  _ your mouth if I were you. Let’s see if you can even land a blow.” Barry said cheekily yet still fuming.

“Ha ha.” The man scoffed. “I might not be up to your  _ speed  _ but I ain’t about to be taken down by a rookie either.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	12. Fighting for a Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal and Barry have a little discussion after a good spar. Will things ever be normal again? Will they be normal again? Will they ever meet face to face?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELLLLLLLL. I don't have a clue what to do with myself anymore.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

By the time Hal and the speedster were done fighting, both were completely exhausted. Their little battle had ended in a tie because of their exhaustion. Fortunately, both felt much stress leave their body during what turned out to be a friendly spar.

Both worked up quite a sweat and were satisfied with the tiredness their bodies ached with. Once the speedster regained some strength, he rushed off. Hal sighed. He never did get that information he was after. He flew up to the ledge of a building and took a seat, loving the breeze that came as the sun slowly got lower in the sky. 

The streak came racing back but soon noticed the glowing green man on the roof of the building and met him up there. He walked through the door with a hand full of burgers from Big Belly Burger. Hal’s eyes shined as his mind flittered to happy memories. 

The kid sat and placed the food between them, instantly taking one to cram into his mouth. Hal grabbed one as well, his mind happily replaying the memories from his past. “You seem really happy about a couple of burgers,” Barry’s voice rang through, still distorted but sounding empty.

“They reminded me of someone,” Hal responded simply, a happy sigh coming from his mouth. He hadn’t disguised his voice this time around and the boy’s head whipped in his direction. He watched as the boy shook his head as if trying to banish a thought. “What?” He asked.

“You-” Barry’s voice broke for a second before he continued. “Your voice. It’s just- I” his voice died off again, and Hal saw the shimmer of tears in the boy’s eyes before his head turned away.

“You okay?” Hal asked, trying to reach out for the boy. He landed a hand on the speedster’s shoulder and felt a jolt of electricity but didn’t pull back. The slight touch of the kid’s shoulder sent butterflies through his stomach. That wasn’t something that had happened in so long, it was something that only ever happened when he touched Barry.

He turned the boy to face him, finally looking into his eyes in a close range. 

So familiar… 

Small frame, the eyes and the longing in his voice… “Barry?” Hal asked. The boy’s eyes went wide. Hal sighed and dropped his mask. He looked up, “Barry,” Hal pulled him firmly into a hug.

When Barry saw the face of the lantern, the tears that had been building finally slipped down his face. “H-hal?” he whispered as he squeezed the man closer. He cried and cried and cried and Hal just held him tightly.

Barry wasn’t sure if he could believe that it was truly Hal. the man looked like Hal, smelled like him and when Barry pressed closer, the man’s body felt exactly like Hal’s had so long ago.

When Hal finally pulled back, Barry’s eyes were more than just a little bloodshot. He pulled at his mask, gently uncovering his face. Barry’s wind-swept dirty blonde hair poked out in every direction thanks to his cowl and sweat.

Hal let out a scoff. “You’re still a disaster, aren’t you?” Hal asked as he swept Barry’s hair back into place. Barry just gave him a watery laugh. Hal leaned in for a kiss, long, languid and full of happiness. He only broke it when air was necessary. They looked at each other happily as they caught their breath.

“How- where have you been?” Barry asked after settling down. He was honestly unsure of what to feel about Hal just reappearing.

“That’s a bit of a longer story,” Hal said sadly. Barry got comfortable, leaning into Hal, content to listen. Hal sighed. “I was doing a test run in a simulator with Carol quarterbacking when suddenly the power went out. When I opened the door to the simulator, I was miles up in the sky in the middle of the desert.”

“How the hell did the simulator even get out of the hangar?” Barry asked in disbelief.

“It broke through the roof!” Hal snorted in laughter. “So it turns out that an alien by the name of Abin Sur had told his ring, the one I now wear, to find a worthy candidate. One to replace him. When I got to him, he was nearly dead. I tried to help him, purple blood was everywhere.” Hal sighed again, this part of the story was really saddening.

“When I got to him, he shoved the ring into my hands and told me that he was the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 and that the ring had chosen me to replace him. Mumbled something about it being a great responsibility, and that the Guardians would send for me.”

“The Guardians?” Barry asked.

“Immortals that created the Green Lantern Corps. Basically a group of intergalactic green space cops. The Guardians chose the color green because it’s the color of will. It’s the strongest force to have their corps defend the galaxy with.”

“How does it work?” Barry asked, tracing the ring with his finger, more than a little interested.

“The willpower of every living thing provides power to the central battery back on Oa and that powers our individual lanterns which charge our rings. Even my suit is composed completely of energy.” Hal told him, slipping the ring off his finger to show that the suit faded away and came right back when he slipped it back into place.

“Cool,” Barry whispered. 

“So, after Abin Sur died, I was stranded in the desert with a green glowing ring and the power battery. The simulator pod was damaged and stranded and there was a dead alien lying in the open with a crashed ship a couple feet away.” 

“Geez,” Barry whispered.

“Yeah, I buried him,” Hal said. “I couldn’t just leave him there. The ship wasn’t something I could do anything with but the thing was on fire and about to blow. I slipped the ring on my finger and the ring made the suit appear for the first time. Even I must admit that it was so damn cool! After the basic bonding of the ring, I reached out and grabbed the lantern. The ring started beeping and the next thing I knew I was high in the air, watching the explosion from above.”

Hal grabbed another burger and unwrapped it to take a bite. “I didn’t really have control of the ring, so I spent some time trying to figure it out. I managed to land on the ground and then a rain of green started attacking. That was the first time I met Kilowog, Boodikka, Tomar-Re, and Sinestro.”

“They came that fast?”   
“I wasn’t expecting them to come that quickly either but considering I was the first human ever selected, The Guardians talked about if I was worthy enough to keep the ring. Sinestro stuck up for me and took me under his wing and I completed the induction process. From there Kilowog and Tomar trained me up and Sinestro helped as well.”

“And you were training the whole time you were away?”

“Mostly, but then we had a betrayal in the Lantern Corps. Sinestro and Boodikka tried to recruit me to join their cause and become a Yellow Lantern.”

“Yellow Lantern?”

“The yellow element is powered by the fear of every living thing in the universe and is the only element that can rival the green. I wasn’t about to join that fest and let fear consume me. I fought it, I fought my fears and ended up taking Sinestro down with the aid of Kilowog and the rest of the Lantern Corps. After saving the universe, the Guardians were finally accepting of me into the ranks and even let me come home.”

Hal looked to Barry as the kid digested all that information. This was going to be hard. “I don’t get to stay,” He told him. Barry’s face looked utterly broken and tears were threatening to roll down his face again. “No, no, please don’t cry. I really shouldn’t have said it like that.” Hal panicked as he pulled Barry back to him and rubbed his back soothingly. 

Barry’s stiff shoulders loosened at the contact as he hugged back. “I meant that I’ll have to go on away mission when the guardians need me. I get to live here after all earth is in my sector, but when I’m needed in space or on Oa I’ll have to return.”

Barry sighed. He could live with that. “Fine but if you die on me out in space, we’re going to have some issues,” Barry swore firmly.

“Agreed.” Hal laughed. “Let’s get you home. You look utterly exhausted.”

“I could say the same to you,” Barry said as they moved to get up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	13. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal and Barry go to family dinner and do a bit of explaining to the Star Labs group and special guests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few more characters were added and I’m excited for the way things are shaping up!
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Barry walked up to Joe’s house hand in hand with Hal. Barry was bringing Hal to the family dinner and knew that everyone would celebrate his being alive. 

Sure there would be an interrogation from Joe and maybe the Star Labs group and team Arrow but Barry knew it’d be worth it. 

He and Hal had done a lot of catching up over the past two days. Hal told Barry of all his adventures in space and Barry told him of his time on earth. 

It was heartbreaking for Hal to hear and Barry broke down multiple times during the stories but Hal was there to comfort him the entire time. 

He told Hal of the lightning striking him, the time he met Oliver Queen in Star City before the lightning. Saving the Arrow, becoming a forensic assistant, he told him everything. 

The good and the bad, (which for Barry was mostly bad, 9 month coma and all) and he told Hal of his depression problems too.

Barry told him about the flash and who knew who he was. Cait, Cisco, Wells and Joe. He told them how they all acted like he was made of glass. It made Barry angry yet at the same time, he couldn’t find it in him to say anything. He knew he was broken, that he was only half of himself without Hal. Hal was very determined to reverse the damage his disappearance had caused Barry. 

Barry opened the door to the house and stepped inside, dragging Hal with him. Hal had told Barry how he ran into Iris and their friends at Jitters but he hadn’t told anyone else he was alive. Harry hadn’t either. They were more than a little preoccupied. 

When Hal stepped into the house, Joe dropped his glass, sending coffee all over the floor. Hal stopped dead. He wasn’t sure how to explain his disappearance with Iris around. She didn’t know about the flash and he was certain Joe wouldn’t want her to know about his mask either. 

But he’d have to explain it to Joe and hope he’d accept him again. It took him forever to win Joe over the first time. 

What was even more shocking is that Joe rushed him into a hug. Hal hugged him back happily but guilt still pinged in his heart. He hated that he was gone so long, that everyone had suffered because of him. He regretted Barry losing his soulmate once, he’d be damned if he let it happen again. 

“I wondered why you invited the Star Labs crew and your friends to dinner Barry. Now I know why. Where the hell have you been Hal?” Joe asked, happy yet wary. 

“It’s a long and depressing story. Can I just tell you later? Everyone should be here soon,” Hal asked, hoping Joe would drop the subject for now. 

“Of course. Oh, I’ve got to clean that glass up,” Joe shuffled into the kitchen for their cleaning supplies. 

Cait and Cisco showed up, a little stunned to see Hal but not saying anything other than that. Then came Oliver, Felicity, and Dig. 

“Ollie!” Barry said, giving the man a hug who grumpily looked at him. Felicity was next and he gave Dig a nod. “This is Hal.” Barry introduced. “Hal this is Oliver Queen, Felicity Smoak, and John Diggle. They’re friends from Starling City.”

“Nice to meet you,” Felicity said. “I’m glad you’re not dead,”

Hal gave her a weird look which turned to a smile when she started to stumble and cover her words. Oliver glared at him quite a bit, Yeah he was getting shovel talk from him later. 

It took a while longer but eventually Clark, Diana, John, Arthur and Bruce shuffled into Joe’s house. Barry maneuvered around with all his friends easily. It was strange Hal assumes, for the others to see him this way. 

Barry had told the Starling friends to meet them at Star later in the night as well as approaching Bruce in need of a private talk with him as well. 

The dinner lasted a few hours and it was around 9 when everyone started to shuffle off. Bruce sent Barry a nod before he held with Diana and Clark, then Hal, Cait, Cisco, Ollie, Felicity, Dig and Joe were left, Iris having left almost a half hour ago. 

“Let’s get to Star,” Barry said seriously. “We’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” Barry said as everyone grabbed their coats. 

STAR LABS

Everyone stood in the cortex, the air was tense. 

“Start talking,” Oliver commanded, arms crossed. Barry gave him a frown and scoff but looked to Hal, waiting for him to start. 

“I’m not really sure how to tell everyone this,” Hal turned to Barry. “Besides, this many people don’t need to know,”

“You don’t tell everyone in this room and they will all come after you,” Barry told him. “Especially Oliver.”

“I’m not afraid of the Arrow. He wouldn’t be able to pierce my suit with them anyway,” Hal whispered to Barry. Barry foxes him with a look and he sighed. “Fine.” 

Hal took his ring out from his pocket and slipped it on his finger. Everyone watched as a suit appeared on the man, it breaching out from the middle of his chest down his arms and legs, a mask on his face. 

“Shit,” Joe said as she stumbled back a few feet. “What the hell?”

Oliver looked tense, almost ready to attack. Hal seemed to read that in his posture, “Back off Arrow. You wouldn’t come close to winning.”

“You’re the rookie here,” Oliver pointed out, fuming that Hal knew his identity. He knew Barry hadn’t told him, but he needed to know how the man figured it out. 

“7 years of experience doesn’t hold a candle to an intergalactic cop. Especially one with this kind of ability.” Hal said sternly, showing off his ability to manifest any object out of green energy. He created a hand holding up its middle finger, pointing it at Oliver. 

“That’s so cool! The ring made this suit? How? What’s it made out of?” Cisco asked excitedly. 

“The suit is comprised entirely of energy, it appears when I put on the ring. The ring can create anything I see in my mind if I concentrate. The energy can create the constructs I see in my mind.” Hal told him simply. 

“Energy?” Joe asked. 

“Yes. The green energy generated by the willpower of every living thing in the universe. The planet Oa is the home of the Green Lantern Corps, where the central battery is located. The central battery powers the individual lanterns which power our rings. The ring makes the suit to conceal my identity.” Hal explained. 

“Badass,” Cisco mumbled. 

“I got recruited right before my ‘disappearance’,” Hal told them. He explained just about everything he could. It was a lot to get out and there were so many bad memories he had to relive to tell his story. 

Oliver still looked at him warily but by the end of his year long tale, most looked at him with understanding. They knew he didn’t have a choice when it came to disappearing.

They also understood that the Lantern Corps wasn’t something he could just walk away from. Barry and Oliver were the same in that way. Oliver was a crusader for his city and Barry was starting his own crime fighting path. 

They all were getting into or already were into something that they couldn’t break free from. Everyone stood in the room silently for a few moments, the air adjusted to one of understanding and happiness instead of wary. 

Oliver and his team left for Starling soon after, and Barry and Hal took not long after as well everyone called it a night and headed their own ways. 

BARRY’S APARTMENT

Hal laud in the queen sized bed next to Barry who was snoring lightly, curled up into his side. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this happy. 

He had Barry back. Maybe he’d be able to sleep peacefully too. Barry seemed to be able to, Hal had been told of the kid’s inability to sleep after he left and his will was now known to be unmatched, he’d do everything to make sure Barry was happy and healthy again. 

He rolled onto his side and pulled Barry closer. Sleep was something that sounded amazing. With Barry next to him, his eyes fell closed and he fell into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	14. Meeting The Batman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry goes to Gotham to talk with Bruce about his mask... The Batman.
> 
> What will happen when he confronts his old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, my writing schedule is certainly not what it once was because of my life's recent twist but I'm working through it and my writers' block isn't as bad, so let's see where this goes, shall we?
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Barry walked around Gotham, taking in all the sights. Bruce had coldly told him that if they were to talk about what Barry saw, he’d have to come to Gotham, to a more secure location. 

Barry wasn’t sure how to feel. He’s hidden away and kept secrets for so long, he had no right to feel betrayed that Bruce had done so as well. 

What was getting to him, though, was the fact that Bruce had been his mask in college. The Bruce he thought he knew wasn’t real. To Bruce, that was his mask. He wondered how much of his friend he truly knew. 

He walked towards Wayne Industries, nerves shooting through his body. 

WAYNE INDUSTRIES

“Let me know when Mr. Allen arrives,” Bruce said to his secretary as he walked with a group of people around him. 

“Of course Mr. Wayne,” she said as she stopped at her desk. Everyone else followed Bruce, all trying to fill him in data and statistics of one thing or another. 

He stepped into his office to find Barry waiting on one of the chairs. His shoulders were slumped as he stared out the window, obviously tense. He didn’t hear Bruce come in, from what he figured as his eyes never left the window. 

Bruce turned to all his workers and sent them one look that said ‘let’s discuss this later’. They all dropped the conversation and Bruce turned back to his guest. “How’d you get in here Barry?” He asked kindly. 

Barry just shrugged, not meeting his eyes as Bruce approached. “Not even going to look me in the eyes?” Bruce asked sadly. Apparently, that was the wrong question to ask because as soon as Bruce saw the kid’s face he saw the tears that had already stained his face. 

With a sigh, he pulled Barry into a hug. “Barry, this doesn’t change anything. That much is a promise. I’m not exactly the same that I was in college but nothing you saw of me was fake either.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me about this in college?” Barry asked as he put his face in Bruce’s shoulder. 

“Wasn’t sure who to trust with this,” Bruce said decisively. “This mask of mine has been a part of me since the night my parents were murdered, much like how you started to become the Flash after your mother’s death. These tragedies shaped us into two very different people. I’ve seen the darkness of Gotham City and I need to save it before there’s nothing left to save. As the Flash, you are Central City’s savior and champion, not the darkness that grew from its depths.”

Barry just looked at him sadly. “Come to Wayne Mansion for dinner and I’ll show you everything,” Bruce told him. He knew that if he really wanted Barry back to what he once was, or as close as possible, he’d need to be completely transparent. 

That wouldn’t be too hard for him, this was Barry they were talking about. He’d sometimes gotten close to revealing who he was to Barry back in college more than once. When he saw Barry nod, he once again spoke. “Should I have Alfred come pick you up then?”

Barry just shrugged, seemingly not in the mood to actually speak. Bruce gave him another hug them moved for his phone to call Alfred. While they waited for him to arrive, Barry laid down on the couch. 

Bruce noticed that he’d called asleep not long after. Alfred would be a while as he was in the middle of errands so Bruce called his secretary to grab a blanket and then covered Barry up. The kid didn’t look like he was feeling too good. Some sleep was probably just what he needed. 

Once Alfred came, Bruce carries Barry to the car so he wouldn’t have to wake him. Bruce figures the paparazzi would go wild if they managed to get a picture of Bruce carrying Barry around but wasn’t really worried much about it. 

As long as Barry got back to the mansion and slept for a while he could handle anything the press would throw at him. 

WAYNE MANOR

Barry woke up right around dinner with his stomach growling. Having never been in the manor before, he wasn’t quite sure where he was walking to as he left the guest room he’d been placed in. 

He wandered before he finally found someone in the halls dusting an old vase. “Excuse me? Um, where’s Bruce?” Barry asked shyly. 

“Master Bruce is down in the Batcave and has instructed me to bring you there after dinner,” Alfred answered politely. “Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Alfred Pennyworth.”

“Barry Allen,” he replied, somewhat uncomfortable and unsure what to really say. 

“How about dinner?” Alfred asked. Once he got a nod, he guided Barry to the dining room. Barry looked around as Alfred led them to the dining room. Everything in Wayne manor was so grand and beautiful. 

“Master Wayne said you’ll eat plenty, especially after recent events, I’ve made sure there’s more than enough for even your metabolism,”

“Um, thanks…” Barry said as a small blush rose to his cheeks. 

“Rest assured, he hasn’t told me anything more than I needed to make sure there was plenty of food,” Alfred assured Barry. He just shrugged and Alfred left him to help himself, heading down to the cave to bring Bruce his dinner. 

BATCAVE 

Bruce was running tests when Alfred came in with his dinner. “How’s he doing?”

“He’s quieter than you’ve described, Master Bruce. Very shy and he seems to avoid eye contact.”

“He’s broken Alfred, and I wasn’t there to help,” Bruce said as he looked to the camera that showed Barry Allen pushing his food around on the plate instead of eating. 

“From what I recall, he wouldn’t let you help,” 

“Maybe not but we both know that I could’ve worked harder and gotten to him before all of this.”

“His lover has returned, has he not? From what you’ve said, his return and your help now should be more than enough to get him back to the place he once was.”

“I hope so Alfred because if it’s not, we’ve lost the best man on the planet and nothing can bring him back.” Bruce turned back to his tests with a sigh and Alfred went to rejoin Barry in the dining room.

\---

“Master Allen, are you finished?” Alfred asked as he started to clear the table. Barry nodded and began to help. Alfred normally wouldn’t let him help but he couldn’t bring himself to tell the boy no. Soon after Alfred was leading Barry to the sitting room where the wall clock stood. 

Alfred tugged on the pulley and Barry heard a loud crank and watched as the clock opened into an elevator. Alfred stepped inside and waited for Barry’s shock to break and walk into the elevator. They rode it down to the Batcave.

When the doors whooshed open Barry was greeted with an unbelievably large computer with multiple screens and machines all around. Forensic equipment and all types of tech were spread out through a cave that had multiple floors. 

Barry saw a plane, boat, and car and then heard Bruce’s voice right next to him. “That’s the batboat, batwing and batmobile. Some very advanced tech from Wayne Industries made its way into The Batman’s modes of transportation, to which he is very grateful.” Bruce told him with a smirk.

When Barry turned, he saw Bruce in his uniform but his cowl down. It was his first time really getting a good look at it. A full grey suit with a black bat across the chest, black boots, gloves with triangle blades and a black cape that was attached to his cowl. He had a gold utility belt around his hips. He had to admit, seeing Bruce in his uniform, he knew that this was who he truly was. 

Barry had always thought there was something he was hiding, always knew there was a darkness in him that made him act the way he did, especially around new people. He knew Bruce wasn’t evil, that he’d never cross a line that shouldn’t be crossed but he was far from trusting.

“I trust you, Barry. That’s why I’m telling you this, showing you everything. I want you to trust me, and let me help you get back to where you once were. WHO you once were. If this is the only way, then the hell with it.”

“It suits you, Bruce. You look like you’ve found your place,” Barry told him shyly.

“I could say the same to you,” Bruce said as he pulled Barry’s uniform from behind his back. “The red suits you. The speed is a gift you’ve been given so you can guard your city, protect it so it never turns into one like Gotham and Starling. Never creates someone as dark as The Batman or The Arrow to become the avengers of the night.” 

Barry took his uniform in hand and sped into it, more than happy to wear it once again. He left his cowl down once he was finished suiting up and Bruce continued to speak. “I couldn’t reach you as Bruce Wayne. My counterpart failed you but Batman was there when Bruce Wayne was not. Batman was there to help you, even if you were the Flash at the time. Funny that the first time we meet face to face in over a year and it’s with our masks.” Bruce said with a small laugh.

“Yeah,” Barry responded quietly. Suddenly Batwave went active, telling Bruce of criminal activity flaring up in the city. 

“Patrol with me?” Bruce asked with a smile as he pulled his hood up. Barry gave a shining smile as he did the same. 

“I thought you’d never ask,” Barry said with a laugh as he raced Bruce out of the Batcave.

“No fair, Barry! Your slow run is faster than my Batmobile’s top speed!” Bruce yelled as he ran to his car and jumped inside. Barry watched as it powered up, the blue lights running through the whole body of it as Bruce stepped on the gas hard, the top of his car moving into place.

They left together, Barry pulling ahead quickly with a laugh as Bruce whined into the comms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	15. Rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry faces off against Bivolo for the first time. 
> 
> Bruce, Oliver, and Hal get involved to pull him from the rage but will they be successful?
> 
> Will Well's tech save them if they aren't?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I worked hard on this chapter and was up later than normal(as of late).
> 
> But I'm proud to put this chapter out!
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Barry could only think of one thing right now. He was angry. Bivolo had gotten away and he’d seen red right before he disappeared. Arrow had come into town and Barry really wanted to team up with him.

Oliver told him that he didn’t really want Arrow’s type of help, that the way he did things was why he didn’t truly want his help. Barry had gone to training with Oliver and he’d shot him in the back with arrows. Oliver’s defense was teaching him to case an environment and Barry still couldn’t see it as reasonable. 

The next time that Barry had been called to train with Oliver was after Bivolo’s strike and Barry didn’t realize the whammy was starting to take effect. He lashed out of Oliver and ran off, then lashed out at Joe at work, leaving the words “When I am not calm… you’ll know.” behind as his eyes glowed red and he sped away. 

Joe had gone straight to STAR for help and they called Hal in for help as well as The Arrow. Green Lantern and Arrow stood in full costume as they tried to track where Barry had run to. Hal had called Bruce while the satellite did its work.

They had a plan to use light to reverse the effects of Bivolo’s whammy and needed Barry somewhere in the open to hit him with the light shifters.

He was on his way when Hal hung up, knowing that Batman would be someone that could calm Barry more than Oliver or even himself. Hal had only managed to piss him off once and once Barry went rage monster, Hal made sure to never do it again.

Bruce would be there in minutes with his plane traveling at high speeds. They finally got a ping on Barry’s whereabouts and it showed him in a graveyard. Hal swallowed a gulp. That was no doubt where Barry had put his grave, somewhere close and accessible but beautiful.

Hal started to fly there immediately, making sure to take the Arrow with him as he went. They touched down in less than a minute and slowly approached as they watched Barry in front of the grave. His hands were clenched into fists, obviously tight.

“Barry,” Oliver announced, making the boy turn, his eyes glowing red for a brief moment as his face contorted in a nasty snarl. Barry zoomed past, almost like the last of his restraint was used to run before he started to fight them. 

Hal chased, dragging Arrow with him into the streets of Central City. The streetlights were the only thing that illuminated the roads and Barry turned to face them. Hal touched down and placed Oliver on the ground next to him.

“You need to calm down,” Oliver said firmly as he roped Barry with an arrow.

“And you need to hold on,” Barry said with disdain. He turned and ran, dragging Oliver into an alley with him. Oliver shot an arrow as Hal flew into the alley, too shocked to take action. These two were full on fighting and Barry seemed too angry, something even Hal had never seen before.

“You missed.”

“No,” Oliver said with a small shake of his head. The moment after the arrow he shot blew up, throwing Barry forward. With an angry tap of his fingers, Barry rose off the ground, exhaling an angry breath.

Suddenly an arrow hit him in the shoulder, releasing 2,000 grams horse tranquilizer into his body. “Two thousand grams of horse tranquilizer, should no hitting you anytime now,” Oliver said, then watched as Barry’s body blurred and the tranquilizer burned out of his body.

Barry turned back to him, angrier than before, yelling as he zoomed forward to a straight face Oliver Queen. Oliver stood there as Barry zoomed around him, his lightning sparking and the small fire in the dumpster that had caught the arrow that exploded getting pulled into the current of Barry’s running.

Oliver retreated with an arrow grapple to the roof of a nearby building, “Where you goin’?” Barry yelled only to run up the building and break the line. “We’re not done!” He shot another one to help him land on the ground once again as Barry sped a few feet in front of him, looking up at him from his position kneeling on the ground where he'd skidded to a stop.

“Is that all you got?” Barry asked.

Oliver went to attack, and Barry sped around him, only avoiding his attacks until Oliver managed to get a hit in. he then started delivering speed punches around his whole body before popping up in front of him and delivering a few right to Oliver’s face and jaw.

Oliver flew back, rolling to a stop as he pulled out a remote and pressed a button. His bike fired a few arrows at Barry’s back and he turned to catch them, “Fool me once,” Barry said cheekily, yet still angry. Oliver took that distraction and threw a flechette into the back of Barry’s thigh.

Barry grunted in pain, removed the flechette and Hal finally got involved. “Arrow, what the hell!” Hal flew up to Barry and immediately got punched, flying back into the wall. From there he sped over to Oliver, “ I still believe in you Barry,” Oliver confessed before Barry punched him across the face a few more times, finally knocking him down enough to need more time to get up and recover(yet not unconscious).

Hal got back up, “Barry, please think about this,” he wiped at his lip. “I don’t want to do this,” he said sadly.

“You don’t get a choice!” Barry yelled as he ran towards Hal, eyes glowing fully red.

Hal was on the ground as soon as Barry was over there, Barry truly upset and finally, though not healthily releasing his anger.

“BARRY ALLEN!” He heard a deep voice yell, causing him to look up, eyes returning to their normal color. The whammy Bivolo hit him with snapped out of place but returned after a few seconds of Barry looking at Bruce.

He had a lot of rage towards people, mainly Hal and Bruce, and some new anger towards Oliver but even they weren’t enough to break the hold it seemed. “BARRY ALLEN, YOU LISTEN TO ME,” Bruce roared as he dropped to the pavement. “YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN AND YOU’RE GOING TO CALM DOWN RIGHT NOW.” Bruce was firm when he spoke to the younger man and that seemed to finally snap him out of the whammy.

His hand shot to his head, “Oh, this is going to be a special kind of hangover,” He whispered as he looked briefly around. Oliver and Hal had gotten up and walked over to him, “I’m sorry.” he whispered as he covered his eyes with his palms. They all knew he was crying, and Bruce wrapped him in a hug, Hal taking him from Bruce not long later.

Oliver told Barry they’d talk tomorrow after they all went home and got some much-needed sleep. Oliver left, and Bruce departed for Gotham now that the situation was dealt with, not before comforting Barry a bit.

Hal flew them both to Barry’s apartment where Hal cleaned his leg which was mostly healed. They both laid in the bed and Barry let out a sigh. “Hal, I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault babe. Besides, I hope this made you realize that you telling me that you’re upset or that there is something bothering you is better than letting a meta whammy you into doing it.”

 

“Yeah, I just, well, I guess I was so far in denial that I refused to acknowledge that it bothered me,” Barry told him as he scooted closer to his lover. “I’ll try to be better about it,” Barry promised.

“I know babe. I trust you will. It’s just going to take time to get back to how you once were. My brave, happy and trusting lover.” Hall rolled onto his side and kissed Barry’s forehead. “Get some sleep,”

“Yeah,” Barry said in response, snuggling closer to Hal and putting his face in his chest. This was once his favorite place to sleep. Now that he had it back, he felt like everything was slowly shifting back into place. His soulmate had returned and brought the part of Barry that he’d took back with him and Barry was finally content again.

Content enough to dream without nightmares for the first time in over a year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	16. Becoming Whole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Singh finds out Hal is back and Hal does some explaining to his college friends. From there, Barry and Hal become whole once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :)

Barry walked up the stairs to the precinct, an open smile on his face. He passed his Captain along the way who instantly turned to look at the smiling young man. David followed him back up the stairs all the way to his lab.

“Barry?”

“Yes, Captain?” Barry asked as he turned around.

“What’s with you?”

“What do you mean?” He asked, more than confused.

“It’s just… you’re smiling… and actually talking to me,” David pointed out. “What’s going on?”

“Joe didn’t tell you?” Barry asked inquisitively. 

When Singh stood there with a straight face, Barry started to continue, thankfully before his words failed him with an explanation, Hal walked into his lab. “Hey, babe. You forgot your lunch in the apartment,” Hal said as he held out some leftovers Barry had put away.

“Oh, thanks Hal,” Barry responded as he moved to grab the lunch bag. Singh turned to investigate, his eyes narrowing distastefully before widening in shock.

“You died over a year ago!”

“Ah, no, didn’t die. Just disappeared, long story,” Hal instantly said, hoping that he wouldn’t get questioned further. Suddenly a fist came flying his way and he blocked it, making sure not to strike back.

“Captain!” Barry yelled.

“Make sure you don’t ‘disappear’ again, or you and I will be having a talk,” David swore firmly before walking out with his head held high.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why he did that,” Barry said as he checked out Hal’s arm.

“He’s protective of you,” Hal said simply, somewhat happy to be saying it. “Looks like there’s an army of people who love you.” Jealousy started to slowly course through his veins and Barry instantly set to soothing it.

“Good thing your love is the only one that matters, then.” He told Hal. “I’ve got to get to work but I’ll see you later,” Barry said as he gave Hal a quick kiss. He moved to his desk and started to sift through the papers stacked there.

“See you later babe,” Hal responded as he moved to walk away. He passed Joe and Iris on the way out, giving them a nod before he left the building completely. 

\---

Hal walked around Gotham, more than a little excited to see Bruce. Sure they were in a rough area but he was still happy to see his friend. His phone started to vibrate and he pulled it from his pocket. Bruce was calling.

“Hello?” Hal answered. 

“Have you arrived?”

“I’m right in front of your building.”

“Great, I’ll see you in my office, then,” Bruce said before he hung up.

Hal sighed. He expected some shovel talk from Bruce, he expected it from all of his friends. Bruce didn’t even know what he’d been doing for the year he was gone. He greeted the receptionist happily, and she guided him to Bruce’s office.

When he walked in, everyone was there. He hadn’t expected to see them all but was happy nonetheless. “Hey guys,” He greeted, hoping their reactions weren’t on the irritated side. They all smiled at him and wrapped him in a hug, to Hal’s surprise.

“We’re all so happy you’ve found your way home,” Bruce told him, “But there are some questions we have for you.” Bruce finished.

Hal knew where this was going. His time away. He wasn’t sure how he felt about all his friends knowing everything, though. His ring provided him with all the information the guardians had and was up to date on current events.

From all the data in his ring, he’d easily figured out that each of his friends had a mask. Bruce was The Batman, the Dark Knight of Gotham City, Clark was Superman and worked in Metropolis where he worked. Diana was Wonder Woman and constantly moved around because of her job as an ambassador(he knew she was talking for her home, not that many people did). Arthur was Aquaman and had taken the Throne of Atlantis and John was The Martian Manhunter and a detective. 

He was surprised that nobody else knew everything, though he was sure Barry knew Bruce was Batman. It had taken him so long to figure out Bruce was Batman, even with the help of his ring and infinite knowledge.

“We can talk, but not here,” Hal said decisively. “Somewhere more secure.”

They all looked to each other, confused as to why Hal was demanding a more secure location than Wayne Industries.

“I don’t need anyone overhearing.” Hal clarified.

While that made sense, they knew that with how Bruce had things, nobody would be able to spy on them. Still, they granted Hal his request. “We’ll go to Wayne Manor then,” Bruce said, pulling his phone to call a car to the front of the building.

“The car will be out front in a few moments. Should we head out?” Bruce grabbed his coat and walked to the door, holding it open for all his friends. Everyone followed Hal as he led the way from the office.

It was a short ride to the mansion, and Bruce led them to his private study, the one where the entrance to the cave was located. They all sat and got comfortable and Alfred brought refreshments for them, then left them to discuss.

“Where were you,” Bruce began harshly.

“This is a very complicated story,” Hal started. “I really shouldn’t be telling any of you but I have the feeling you won’t let me and Barry be together if I don’t,” Hal said, he knew Bruce was the only threat to his life with Barry.

Hal started his long story with a sigh, waiting to see what his friends would say. This story would take a while.

\---

Barry was getting antsy. He knew Hal was going to see Bruce today but Barry was tired. He wanted to sleep but knew it would be a fruitless effort without Hal by his side. He paced around the apartment until he heard the door click open. 

He sped to the door and tackled Hal who laughed at the instant invasion of personal space. “Let’s get you to bed, you must be exhausted,” Hal said as he pulled Barry away from him. Barry nodded and they headed for the bedroom.

Once there, Barry laid down and shifted close to Hal. he closed his eyes, ready to drift to sleep until Hal started pressing kisses to his cheeks and neck. Hal swung his leg over Barry’s body, straddling him as he looked down at Barry’s doe eyes.

Hal never got tired of that look. Pure innocence and love was the look Barry always had when they were like this, and Hal relished in it. As they looked to each other, both knew it was going to be a long night, a long night of becoming whole again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	17. War(Part 1/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The league forms up to fight a battle together that they wouldn't be able to win otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on the movie Justice League War and the graphic novel that the movie was based on, Justice League origin. (with major edits.) 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

In the weeks following Hal’s return, Green Lantern and the Flash teamed up and gained publicity (some good and some bad). They were really starting to become happy again and everyone seemed to be happy for them.

Unfortunately, just when everything started running smoothly, hell broke loose. Batman had gone to Metropolis with Green Lantern to investigate a motherbox that might’ve been tied to Superman.

It had all started when Hal had caught a monster trying to kidnap a woman in Gotham when Batman intervened. Hal had obviously tagged along when Bruce continued his investigation which had led them to Metropolis.

Superman was pissed off when they arrived, having already been attacked by a parademon. Seeing the box that the demon had in Batman’s arms had only led the alien to attack them. “This man’s gonna kill us!” Hal had said after Superman had chased them through the city and broken his shield. 

“No he won’t,” Bruce replied, holding his hand out. “You bruise but you don’t kill, do you, Clark?” He whispered the name so Hal didn’t hear, knowing Superman did. That caused him to stop right before hitting Batman with a punch.

“You’ve made your point,” Clark used his x-ray vision. “Hmm.” He said cockily. “Bruce Wayne.” Batman sighed on the inside. Great, just one more person that knew his identity. This was going to be a long story when it was over.

“We think it’s alien,” Batman held the motherbox up.

“Well, it’s not Kryptonian,” Clark said with a little anger.

“Worth a shot,” Bruce mumbled

“What happened? Are we done fighting?” Lantern asked as he flew up to the two standing in the street.

“Alien is relative by the way. It’s a big universe.”

Suddenly a huge group of parademons broke out from a warehouse not far from where their mini-fight had ended, each of them moving to attack and contain the beasts to protect the public.

They were going to need some help with this, Hal could admit. He just couldn’t bring himself to call Barry quite yet. He turned back to his fight. “Lantern plug that hole,” Batman said, referring to the gap in the building that the demons had punched through and were escaping from.

“Yeah, yeah,” Hal said, constructing a third construct to fill the hole quickly. Soon enough his mind was too scattered to hold it, “Lantern, concentrate! Your constructs are fading! Your mind is scattered!” Bruce yelled as he threw Batarang after Batarang at the creatures.

“Worry about yourself! You’re the one without powers!” Lantern replied with frustration right as Bruce threw a Batarang into the face of a parademon. Superman was handling well on his own, hitting the monsters with heat vision and he even blew up a gas truck to take out a dozen.

After a while, Barry showed up without Hal calling him. Hal sighed, he really didn’t want Barry involved, he was still healing from a fight from last week. He was needed though, and lord knows that the boy wasn’t about to sit out when he knew he could help.

Hal had to admit, though he was reluctant, he was excited to fight with his lover by his side. “Flash, my boy! Good to see you!” he did a weird handshake that had even Barry confused. Barry saw Batman and sped right over, more than excited to fight with him.

“Hey Barry, you got a little something on your nose,” Hal whispered as he saw Barry basically kiss up to Bruce. Barry gave him a halfhearted glare when Superman approached. Barry shrunk away a little when the man approached. He was a little nervous around people still, especially someone like Superman.

Bruce turned to Barry and gave him a reassuring nod, Barry knowing that meant he’d explain later. Together they fought and made a plan. This wasn’t going to be good, they all knew, and they’d need as much help as possible.

Diana had been waiting for a meeting with the president as Wonder Woman when she walked into the park. Soon, Steve Trevor had located her and started to scold her for just leaving when a group of Parademons broke loose.

She pulled her sword, jumping into the fray. She loved to fight, she was good at it and it was what she was raised to do. She’d missed the rush after spending so much time doing things Steve’s way. 

Once the attack in the park was taken care of, she heard of an emergency and took off. The president’s plane was being attacked and she was the first there to help, Superman catching the plane she was in as she protected the president from the demons.

As soon as they were safe, she joined Superman outside of the cabin to fight off the monsters. Chemistry flew through the air as they fought together and brought the plane to safety. They soon joined Batman, The Flash and Green Lantern in the middle of Metropolis for the fight that was coming.

\---

Victor Stone was in an argument with his father when he grabbed the tech that Flash had brought to the labs he worked at, a branch off of S.T.A.R. Labs in Central City. suddenly it activated, hurting Victor, almost killing him. His father was able to save him with the tech that was in the red room but at a cost.

Victor was now infused with the motherbox technology and computer systems. Still hurt and angry, he ran from his father, finding himself in the middle of the fight with the other heroes. Bruce had managed to call John, convincing him to come.

Bruce and John had a very straight forward conversation when John read his mind and found out about him being Batman, Bruce having already known he was martian. Arthur was in Atlantis, completely unreachable, so they fought on.

They didn’t know who was doing this, or why, but they knew that someone was trying to start a war, and it was not going to be pretty. Fortunately, everyone there, even the rookie, was proving to be useful. Barry was working evacuation, Hal helping where he could while he fought the demons in the air. Bruce fought from the ground as everyone flew about to take care of the demons that were flying about.

A breach that Stone had referred to as a boom tube opened, someone stepping through. Everyone looked at who they assumed was the leader of the army that was invading. “I am Darkseid.” was the only thing he’d said before everyone started to attack.

The war had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	18. War(2/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The League will form and fight to save the earth in a war against Darkseid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter doesn't have Arthur or J'onn, both having been busy with other things to get there in time. We have Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Batman, Cyborg, and Shazam. 
> 
> Cyborg and Shazam are important to the chapter but might not be featured in the rest of the story which will heavily involve the original characters.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Darkseid was on the ground leading his attack against the earth while his parademons went after more humans. The league was fighting hard, but after a while, Darkseid was able to take down Superman. 

He disappeared through a boom tube and Barry went to find the other leaguers. “They took him! I saw it, they took Superman!” he yelled frantically.

“And there goes our big gun,” Hal sighed. The fight wasn’t going in their favor. They needed to turn the tides. A new caped man flew up to the group, joining in on the fight. He told them he was Shazam and helped in the fight after Batman decided to go after Superman in Hal’s place.

“Your arm is broken you, idiot.” He had told Hal.

“I can handle this. Get out of my way,” Hal responded, forming a temporary cast on his arm and moving his ring to his left hand.

“You’re gonna die,” Batman said as he put his hand on Hal’s shoulder before he could walk past.

“Then I die,” Hal said, completely in war mode. He didn’t want to die, he finally had Barry back, but when the world was at stake, he knew what he needed to do, it wasn’t about him.

“What are you trying to prove?”

“I’m not trying to prove anything you phenomenal douchebag!” Hal yelled.

“We’re just somewhat alike,” Bruce told him.

“We are nothing alike.”

“We’re fighting alongside an alien, an Amazon, a human lightning bolt, a cyborg and a speedster, as far as I can tell Hal, you and I are the only normal people here.”

“You’re pretty south of normal, Spooky, you know that right?”

Bruce pulled down his hood, “When I was ten, my parents were murdered in front of my eyes. I’ve spent my life training to fight the same sort of criminals who took them from me, but this… this is different. This isn’t about me.”

“Uhhhh, you’re telling me this, why?”

“This is bigger than I am, and it’s bigger than you are. Get out of your own way… focus on what’s important here. Everyone else. Regroup with the others.” Bruce turned away, trying his cape around his waist and slipping on a jacket and hat from the surrounding area.

“And do what, exactly?”

“You’re loud. They’ll listen to you if you got something to say. Try to at least sound smart. Keep them alive, keep Darkseid busy until I get back.”

“Get back? From where?”

“We won’t win without our big gun,” Bruce told him as he climbed up a steep pile of rubble, whistling to get a demon’s attention.

“Where the hell are you going?” Hal ran closer to him, but when he saw Bruce whistle he yelled again. “Hey!”

“I’m going to get Superman,” Bruce said, the next moment being snatched by the parademon and flying through a boom tube. 

Batman’s speech seemed to have worked, Hal returned to the group left, trying (and failing miserably) to lead the charge into battle. Wonder Woman took over not long after and flew into the fray, everyone following after her.

Batman took down the parademon and continued on his way, searching for Superman. He found a lab, Superman attached to a chamber that was running a metamorphosis, trying to turn Superman into a Super-parademon.

Batman shut the system down after easily defeating the scientist running the computer. He released Superman, but he started to attack. Now he had to figure out how to bring his friend back, but he wasn’t giving up.

They took out Darkseid’s eyes, making him unable to shoot Omega beams, Wonder Woman stabbing one out with her sword, then Barry taking one out with a crowbar, Shazam hitting it with lightning as Hal caught Barry in a bed construct before he hit the ground.

Unfortunately, their effort didn’t take him down as hoped. “Both eyes blown out and he’s still standing!” Hal yelled as they continued their fight. “What else can we do?”

“Try to send him home,” Victor replied, taking the mother box out and flying high into the sky. He worked his magic, trying to connect to the systems, unfortunately, when he finally forged a connection, he worked his way to opening a boom tube.

The portal opened, and they pushed Darkseid closer to it, “Get him in there!” Wonder Woman yelled. Shazam struck him in the back, but Darkseid retaliated. “I’ll crush you like a nut!” He yelled as he started to put force on to Shazam’s chest.

Wonder Woman intervened with her lasso wrapping around his fist, her and Barry pulling, trying to keep him away from their new teammate. “How dare you? I AM DARKSEID!” 

Superman sped through the portal, ramming into his back, Batman coming from the same boom tube much slower. “I don’t care!” he yelled as he ripped parademon armor off his chest.

“Kick his ass!” Hal yelled, they all watched as Superman attacked, shooting heat vision into Darkseid’s eyes after forcing him down onto his knees and kneeing him in the face. He threw him back toward the portal, Barry looping around him to confuse him.

Shazam struck him with lightning, and Hal with a beam from his ring, pushing him even closer to the portal. Barry appeared behind him, delivering deliberate speed punches to nerves and weak spots, then, Superman and Wonder Woman both delivered a few powerful punches, sending Darkseid into the portal, clinging to the edges.

“Now, kid! Slam the door in his face!” Hal told Victor. As he went to close the portal, he had insufficient energy. Shazam took them further into the sky while everyone made sure that Darkseid stayed where he was.

Darkseid pushed them back, coming out of the portal, then Batman threw a Batarang into his face. The explosion pushed him back a bit, then Batman ran forward, leaping over Darkseid and attaching his utility belt to the alien.

Jets kicked up, pushing him back into the portal, but he still clung to the edges. When that didn’t work everyone rushed him once again, each getting knocked out of the way if they weren’t fast enough to deliver the strike.

Shazam struck the box with lightning, providing it all the power it needed to close. Superman was punching Darkseid into the portal as it started to close, but he got grabbed by him. “Kryptonian, you are coming with me,” Darkseid said.

“Like hell I am!” he replied, headbutting him and flying out of his grasp. He held tight to the edges, making sure he didn’t get sucked into the portal. Barry twirled his arms, aiming them at the portal and creating wind to push him, Wonder Woman threw her sword, Lantern shot him with a beam and Batman threw another Batarang.

The force of all their strikes sent him into the portal, all except his face and hands, which were still clinging to the edge of the boom tube. After the smoke cleared, Barry shot forward, lightning fast, delivering what his team called a ‘supersonic punch’ and knocking Darkseid all the way through the portal and watching it close.

As soon as the fight was over, Victor flew back down to the ground with Shazam. They worried for the human victims, which Victor saved by opening the boom tubes one last time, three popping up, all the people falling out and towards the water.

Lantern flew closer, created a few constructs and pulled everyone to safety. They were about to leave when a group of people surrounded them, cheering to their surprise.

ONE WEEK LATER

The president was holding a ceremony to honor the heroes that had bravely fought to save the world from Darkseid. As the president gave his speech, the heroes that stood proudly behind him. 

“Costume? This is my uniform!” Hal whispered, somewhat offended.

“Quiet,” Batman commanded.

“Oh, now you wanna bark orders when I did the heavy lifting and pulled everyone together?” Hal asked with a smirk.

“You referring to when you botched my very simple directives and Wonder Woman led the charge?”

“Cyborg showed you the video?”

“He emailed it to me.” Bruce now wore a cocky grin.

“I really hate you, Bats”

“I can’t believe people are no longer afraid of us.” Wonder Woman said. 

“Or that they think we are a team,” Superman added. “We’re not a team. But I am pleased to meet some folks who get me.”

“Yes,” Wonder Woman agreed. “It was good to walk among a pantheon again,” she told him.

“How do you mean?”

“Hades(Batman), Apollo(GL), Hermes(The Flash), Hephaestus(Cyborg), Zeus(Shazam)... each a god in their own right.”

“And me?” Superman asked.

“I have never met anyone like you, Superman. God or mortal.” She admitted with a fond look.

Across the stage, Vic and Shazam were having a conversation of their own. “I shouldn’t be up here,” Vic said.

“Are you kidding me? Of course, you should. We won. Be proud. Your dad looks like he is,” Shazam pointed out. When Cyborg looked over, his dad was smiling from the crowd, finally approving of something his son had accomplished.

“And we’re not friends either,” Hal pointed out.

“We let them think we’re both,” Bruce told him.

“Why?”

“It’ll keep Gotham P.D. off my back, the Air Force off yours.”

“I don’t know, a team? I’ve got a lot of… responsibilities.”

“As do I,” Wonder Woman replied.

“Well, I have a whole universe to protect, people, so there you go,” Hal said.

Barry spoke up for the first time the whole ceremony, “Come on, we can do it together,”

Hal loved when Barry was like this, but he felt like messing with him just a bit, already enjoying the squabble going on between him and Bruce. “Yeah? Can you fly into space?” He teased.

“I can,” Superman replied.

“Not my point,” Hal said instantly. “Look, we are not friends. We’re not a team.”

“I don’t agree, I kind of liked being a part of something,” Barry responded. Originally he was going to call Hal by his name but changed his mind at the last minute. He really wanted his lover to help him with the idea of the team and being a part of something bigger, even if he knew had was only joking around.

“Yeah, you would,” He dismissed, Barry wanting to burst out laughing upon hearing his response. “Listen, this was just a one-time deal, okay?”

“And what if something should happen?” Batman provided, completely straight-faced.

“Please! What could possibly happen again?”

After saying that, the president went to announce them, but turned to ask if there was a team name. Barry blurted out what he’s been brainstorming for the past few minutes, “The Justice League,”

It was somewhat corny, but if they didn’t like it, nobody protested. Barry, Hal, and Bruce wearing silly smiles the whole time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	19. The Justice League

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We go behind the scenes with the Justice League to their new headquarters as the League becomes closer than many thought possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Bruce has spoilers!
> 
> Enjoy! :)

It had only been a few weeks and the League was formed, they had a lesion, Steve Trevor. He was setting up a base for them at a STAR Labs in another city, closer to DC and the president. Barry had fought side by side with a few of the League members since Darkseid’s invasion, including a new friend, Martian Manhunter.

Batman had set the League up with a commlink system temporarily until their headquarters were finished. There was a sudden beeping in Barry’s ear at that thought, The League Communicator.

“Batman?” Barry asked as he connected the line. 

“League meeting, gather the rest and meet at the DC STAR Labs.” Was all Bruce said before his line cut. Barry smiled a bit, dashing off to get Hal, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, Shazam and his new friend Martian Manhunter.

They all met at STAR almost an hour later.

“You’re late,” Batman said, while everyone looked at him like he was crazy, Barry knew he meant it to tease.

“You know me, the fastest man alive, always running late,” Barry said, using his powers to disguise his voice.

“Why have you gathered us?” Wonder Woman asked curiously.

Batman didn’t say anything, just walked over to the computers and started to type. When he was finished, a secret door in the wall slid open, a camera scanning him before he walked through a round, machine-looking tube. “Follow me,”

Each of the heroes walked up to the tube, the computer scanning them and calling out numbers and recognizing them. When they all got through, they looked around their new surroundings, then to Batman.

“Welcome to the secret headquarters of the Justice League, the Watchtower,” Cyborg said. “Batman and I have been working on these plans since Darkseid’s invasion.”

“We’re in SPACE!” Barry exclaimed excitedly as he looked out of the windows to see endless darkness lit up beautifully by the stars.

Hal smirked at his lover’s excitement, though then his mind wandered… Barry hadn’t disguised his voice when he spoke this time! Let’s hope nobody…

“Barry?” Aquaman asked.

“Uh, what?” Barry asked as he turned to Aquaman. Everyone looked at them in disbelief, except for Batman. (Bruce already knew who everyone was, he was just waiting for everyone to eventually blow their cover. Of course, Barry would be the first, after Hal, who also knew everyone’s identity secretly).

Hal was inwardly laughing. He knew who everyone was, they were all close friends, and yet each one stood so tense as the others slowly figured each other out. Hal walked over to Bruce to whisper in his ear. “Do it.” He said with a small chuckle. “It’ll be so much easier if you do,”

Bruce thought for a minute before nodding. He walked over to Barry and put a hand on the kid’s shoulder with a quick smirk. Barry looked intrigued as Bruce turned to everyone else. Bruce pointed to Superman first, “Clark Kent,” Then Hal, “Hal Jordan, Diana Prince, Arthur Curry, Barry Allen, Victor Stone, John Jones, Billy Batson,” He pointed to each of them, keeping his voice light, almost laughing as he unmasked everyone there. “Bruce Wayne,” He said with finality as he pulled his cowl down.

Everyone just looked at one another, not saying a word. Barry started giggling freely as he took his cowl down, revealing his face. “No freakin’ WAY!” he laughed happily. John went from his Martian form back to his human identity as he joined Barry’s light laughter.

Even Clark, Diana, and Arthur were laughing. Victor had already been known to the group, though Billy hadn’t been, nobody really seemed to displeased by the results of the day. “Why is this so funny for you guys?” Victor and Billy asked curiously.

“We all went to college together!” Barry laughed out, wiping tears from his face. “We were all best friends!”

“This is just another way the Gods decided to reunite all of us after all of the events of the past year and a half,” Diana said happily. Looks like everyone had some explaining to do, where they came from, and their reunion was only a small part of it.

A while later, Victor and Billy left the watchtower, leaving all the friends to talk. 

It didn’t take nearly as long. It was fascinating to finally know everything about his friends. Diana was from an island of female warriors called the Amazons. Her home, Themyscira, was the country she spoke for in her job. She was the princess there, daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta. 

Clark was from a planet called Krypton, from a galaxy with a red sun. He got his powers from the yellow star from the earth’s atmosphere. He was sent here when he was a baby and didn’t really know much else. 

John was from Mars, his Martian name being J’onn J’onzz. He came here a while ago, protecting the earth as his new home after his was lost. He was the final son of Mars much like Clark was with Krypton. 

Hal re-explained how he’d gotten his ring for John, also talking about how it had chosen him, and his past and father’s death. 

Bruce told them about his parents' murder and how Batman had been born that night. His training and saving Gotham before it fell, even while studying in college. 

Finally, it was Barry’s turn to talk. Barry told them of how he’d been hired at the CCPD. Then how he’d been struck by lightning and woken up with powers. 

He scraped the surface of the science behind his abilities, knowing that not everyone in the league would be able to really understand a lot of it (after all the elements that changed him were “theoretical”, then again, none of the leave members were really theoretical either, some being from different planets and some having unearthly abilities and tech). 

“Looks like we really are ‘Super Friends’,” Clark said, referring to that Barry had said once. Everyone laughed at that, even Bruce. 

While each person was still sorting through how they all came to be here, nobody had honestly seen Bruce this way before. The never really thought of him as the brooding type, dark and mysterious but now, with his explanation it made sense. 

They all belonged here one way or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	20. Happy at Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story wraps up with many happy endings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :)

Life went on for the League, one problem at a time. They saved the world multiple times over the past few months. Each leaguer handled their business in their cities and became beacons of hope for the world and a better place.

In their private lives, each and every one of them were preparing for the event they’d been waiting on for nearly two years. Barry and Hal’s wedding. Planned by the league, they’d have a small ceremony for friends and family to come and enjoy.   
Bruce was the best man, planned the whole thing and had a speech in his head since the day Hal had proposed. Everything was set, the wedding was going to be at a beach and the wedding would be catered with food(and Bruce planned to provide the young meta with plenty of food afterward too). 

The wedding was a week or so away and Bruce was constantly making calls, making sure that no piece of the wedding was out of place. Red flowers, as well as hints of green, were worked into the decorations(they didn’t want to be too obvious) as they were the grooms’ favorite colors.

The guests were invited and had RSVP’d. Thankfully each of the invited guests were able to come. Joe, in particular, couldn’t wait for the day his son would finally get his happy ending. Nothing could make him prouder. The boy had managed to get himself a perfect match, someone just like him, and someone who could protect himself and others. 

Barry walked onto the watchtower, happy smile on his face. Bruce turned to looks as footsteps approached, and gave a soft smile. It was still refreshing to see Barry smile like that again. He loved every moment of seeing the boy happy.

Barry stepped up behind Bruce’s chair, peeking at the large screen that Bruce was using. “Whatcha workin’ on?” He asked lazily. 

“Investigating something in Gotham,” Bruce said. “How long has it been since you slept?” Bruce asked. He had turned back to the screen before Barry had gotten close but just hearing his voice Bruce knew the boy was tired.

“Dunno,” Barry admitted. “Haven’t been able to,”

“Hal will be back tomorrow, Barry. He won’t be happy if he comes back to you completely sleep-deprived.” Bruce said as he got up and closed his files. “Let’s get you to bed,” Bruce led the costumed man to his room on the tower, patient as the boy got into some pajamas.

“Lay down and I’ll go make some snacks,” Bruce told Barry as he left for the kitchen. Some warm milk and honey always got him to sleep. Perhaps it will help the speedster as much as it had helped him when he was young.

As he waited for the milk to get warm, he got a plate of cookies ready. He carried them back to Barry’s room and the boy was sitting in his bed patiently when Bruce walked back in. “You’re supposed to be lying down.”

“I couldn’t get comfy,” Barry told him as he grabbed at the cookies. “Is that milk?”

“Warmed with honey. Always put me to sleep.” Bruce confirmed. Barry nodded as he grabbed the cup. He blew on it and took a sip, relaxing at the warm feel and sweetened taste. He ate a dozen cookies before polishing off the milk. He laid back and got comfy and Bruce stood to leave.

“Lay with me?” Barry asked innocently. When Bruce turned, he could see the exhaustion in Barry’s eyes. “I never did sleep well alone,” he whispered. He nodded and headed toward the door.

“Let me change. I’ll be back,” Bruce told him. Bruce hurried as not to keep the impatient speedster waiting, walking back into the room a mere few minutes later. Barry was half asleep when Bruce laid on the other side of the bed. That didn’t stop the speedster from leaning into Bruce’s side before he promptly passed out.

\---

Hal flew back towards earth happily, excited to see everyone again. The last he’d seen of them was everyone circled around a very sad and teary Barry Allen. He’d promised to come back as quickly as possible, and the Guardians had agreed with the terms, knowing that their Lantern was getting married.

They couldn’t really upset their best Lantern by not letting him be home for his own wedding of all things, and they didn’t have very many urgent affairs that would take more than a day or two anyway. Bringing their best Lantern back to Oa was mostly for the morale of the newer troops.

At the first sight of earth and the Watchtower, he let out a sigh, whole body relaxing. He headed for the tower, the closest bed he had. There was a good chance Barry would be there as he felt closer to Hal on the Watchtower when he was away in space.

\--- 

After getting a shower, a change of clothes and some food, he slipped into Barry’s room to see if anyone was home. He saw a lump on the bed under the covers and then a second person above them.

Bruce looked back at him, silently pleading for Hal to take his place. Hal, thinking it was funny, took a picture, Bruce pouting at him as he sent it to all their friends and Barry’s family before finally freeing the bat and taking his place.

Barry was confused by the warmth that joined him under the covers, shifting as his tired mind woke, eyes looking around blearily, vision blurred from sleep. A soft voice lulled him back and he cuddled closer. “Go back to sleep babe, I’ll be here when you wake up,” Hal told him.

Before Bruce left, Hal pointed a single question toward him. “How long has he been without sleep?”

“I’m not exactly sure. At least a week,” Bruce told him before hitting the lights and plunging them all into the darkness that he welcomed. “Night,” 

“Night, man,” Hal replied before he pulled Barry closer.

\---

When Barry woke the next morning, he was pleasantly surprised that the one he was cuddling was Hal and not Bruce. He was happy, to say the least, and cuddled closer as he went to fall back asleep.

After dozing for about an hour he once again rose, only this time Hal was awake and watching him carefully. “You really need to sleep when I’m away,”

“I’m working on it,” Barry said sheepishly, covering his face up to his eyes with the blanket.

“I can see that,” Hal replied, “That was quite the cute image I came into last night. Everyone else thought so too,”

“You didn’t…”

“I did. Not every day you see Batman cuddling, let alone my fiance.” Barry just laid there silently, cheeks burning. “None of that, now. We need to get back to Central. Don’t you have to work today?”

Barry’s eyes got wide as he shot out of bed and sped into some clothes. “Let’s go, Hal! I’m gonna be late! Oh God, Singh is gonna kill me!” Hal barked a laugh as he got out of bed and got ready for the day. 

Barry zipped them to the teleporters and wished Bruce a good day before they disappeared in a flash of light. As soon as he landed a foot in STAR Labs he was gone, rushing for the precinct as the Labs equipment went off the charts, showing where he was running on their screens.

Cisco and Cait gave Hal a look as he came into the Cortex. “He’s more than likely unaware that he is moving that fast,” Hal told them.

“Dude, that’s a new record,” Cisco replied.

“Babe,” Hal tapped his earpiece. “Slow down a little. You friends say you’re going faster than ever,”

“Really?” Barry asked happily. “GUYS!” Barry announced to the room at large, Joe walking in with Iris. “Guys, I can go faster!” Barry said, pushing himself forward. 

“We’ll run tests after you get out of work!” Caitlin told him firmly.

“Aye aye!” Barry replied before stopping a block away and continuing at a normal run into his place of work.

\---

Barry stood in the bathroom, heaving. He’d just thrown up from how nervous he was and he was sure Bruce was standing outside, guarding the door with his life. Once he was sure he wasn’t going to puke again, he went and rinsed his mouth out at the sink.

Bruce knocked then entered after he heard the faucet start to run. “Are you okay?” He asked worriedly.

“Just nervous…” Barry admitted shyly. “It’s not every day I get married.”

“You’ve fought extraterrestrials and Darkseid, parademons and metahumans and this makes you nervous?” Bruce chuckled.

“Those situations were different! When the world is ending you aren’t worried about anything else but making sure you save the day!” Barry replied.

“But Hal loves you. And sure this will change everything but you’ll have each other. When you have challenges to face, he’ll be right there by your side.” Bruce told Barry, putting a hand on the boy’s shoulder with a gentle smile.

Barry smiled widely in return, speeding in for a hug, not letting go until Bruce returned it. “Are you ready now?”

“Yes,” Barry told him quietly. Bruce led him out of the bathroom and to Joe, then took his place next to Hal. Barry walked down the aisle not long later, Joe leading him and handing him off. Their ceremony went as planned, their vows making everyone in the crowd cry, and Barry shed more than a few tears.

The ceremony ended and the party began, karaoke and the DJ in full swing. Barry enjoyed eating a little bit of everything but when it came time to cut the cake, he and Hal did it together, only for Hal to shove a piece they’d cut into Barry’s face with a laugh. 

Barry’s doe eyes made an appearance and he was sure more than a few people had gotten a picture, (Felicity, Iris, Oliver, and Diggle, plus Joe) before Barry recovered and shoved his piece into Hal’s face with a cute giggle. 

A small cake war went on, and they both cleaned up, finally sitting down to enjoy a piece of cake together, everyone watching them happily. Their first dance went smoothly, Hal leading Barry gracefully on the dance floor. “I didn’t know you could dance so well,” Barry said.

“You’re not too bad yourself, for someone who claims to have two left feet,” Hal replied, giving him a peck on the lips.

Barry was content, looking at Hal with shining eyes. He had his lover again, a great job, new powers and a great team that would help him change the world. ‘I couldn’t possibly ask for more,’ he thought as he laid his head on Hal’s shoulder and closed his eyes, trusting Hal to help him through the dance just like he would with the rest of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)

**Author's Note:**

> See you soon! ;)


End file.
